Bonnie Petrosky Schnably

Bonnie Petrosky Schnably passed away in the comfort of her home on Sunday, June 23, 2019, at 9:55 am. She was born February 8, 1955, in Johnstown, PA, to the late James and Helen Petrosky. Bonnie was married to John “Pete” Schnably May 17, 1975, and gave birth to three daughters Jamie, Casey, and Amber.

Blessed with a large, loving family, Bonnie had five grandchildren: Donny and Georgia Stroud, Bella and Joy Bailey, and Henri Jowaisas. In addition, Bonnie was survived by five siblings and their spouses: Patricia Jones and her husband Cary, James Petrosky and his wife Becky, Diane Wilson and her husband Steve, Nancy Fetzer and her husband Ernie, and John Petrosky. Bonnie also had many surviving nieces and nephews: Jennifer Jones O’Sullivan, Rena Cutlip Mason, Todd Fetzer, Caroline Menighan Stallings, Carrie Jones (Goddaughter), Jill Fetzer Brant, Dana Wilson, Ashley Petrosky Spaid, David Fetzer, and James G. Cultip.  

Bonnie was also survived by her aunt, Patricia Wolfhope and brother-in-law Dave Cutlip and his wife Lynn. She had two sons-in-law Matthew Stroud (Casey’s husband) and Tommy Bailey (Amber’s former husband). Bonnie also had thirteen great nieces and nephews, as well as many close friends who felt like family, including Janice Woofter and her late husband Richard.

After graduating from Johnstown Vocational Technical School in 1973, Bonnie and Pete were married and settled in Weston, WV, where they raised their three daughters. Over a decade later, they moved to Vienna, WV, where the children completed high school and the family attended Good Shephard Episcopal Church presided by the Reverend Art Bennett. Bonnie and Pete retired to Barbour County, WV, and built a beautiful log home on Pete’s family farm. Here, Bonnie loved sitting on the front porch, playing games with her family, and taking her grandchildren fishing.

Bonnie was passionate about her involvement in Martial Arts. She started taking classes in 1983 under the instruction of Bill King in Weston. After rising in the ranks and moving to Parkersburg, she decided to open her own karate dojo, where she taught many students from white belt to black belt. Recently, she became the first woman to earn the rank of Master Instructor in the art of Karate as a member of the USA Martial Arts Federation and was awarded the rank of 6th Degree Black Belt. Her dedication to the Martial Arts as a student, competitor, National Referee, and a senior instructor was unwavering.

In honor of Bonnie, a Celebration of Life Ceremony will be held Saturday, June 29, at 1 pm, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with a luncheon to follow. Family and friends are encouraged to gather at the church beforehand starting at 11 am. St. Paul's Episcopal Church is located at 206 East 2nd Street, Weston, WV, 26452. Her remains have been donated to the WVU Human gift registry and will eventually be cremated.

Bonnie always strived to make a difference to those around her. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a local organization to use for their community outreach - the Brushy Fork Community Center (in care of BC Bank Inc. P.O. Box 370, Phillipi, WV, 26416).  This group of individuals continuously supported the family in this difficult time.

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