Webster Grandmom Who Became Local Icon In Florida Dies In Hurricane Ian

Bonnie Fraser Gauthier had three loves: her grandchildren, the New England Patriots, and a good time. The 59-year-old took those passions with her when she moved from Webster about a decade ago to Fort Meyers, Fla., where she quickly became a beloved fixture known as Auntie Bon Bon, reports from that area said.

Josh Lanier

10/10/2022 2:49 p.m.

When Hurricane Ian was reported to make landfall in Florida last week, Gauthier and several of her friends hunkered down and prepared for a hurricane party — a Florida tradition, the Tampa Bay Times reported. But Ian was stronger than previous storms, and that get-together was the last for Auntie Bon Bon. She died Sept. 28 when the Category-4 storm destroyed her house and possessions, Naples News reported.

Now, her family wants to bring her home to bury her next to her kin in Massachusetts. They started a GoFundMe to help her son Dennis afford the cost of shipping her home, and it has already surpassed its goal of $10,000 in less than a week. Much of that is because she had so many friends because of her fun-loving attitude and cheerful "Hey girl" catchphrase.

“She was a free spirit and loved to put smiles on everyone’s face,” Sandra Fraser, her sister-in-law, wrote on the fundraiser. “She was beautiful and giving. Bonnie lived life the way she wanted to and loved her family and friends deeply.”

Plaka on the Beach, the Greek restaurant where she worked, posted about Gauthier's death on Facebook, and nearly 100 customers and coworkers have shared their favorite stories about her kindness and sense of humor.

Click here to learn more about the GoFundMe campaign.

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