Bonnie Marie Cokinos, 82, of Beaumont, died Tuesday, September 27, 2016, in her home. She was born on January 27, 1934, in Beaumont, to Mildred Boden Sohlinger and Barney Richard Sohlinger, and was a lifetime resident of the area.
Dance discovered Miss Bonnie when she was in 2nd grade; her doctor suggested dance to strengthen her ankles. She began classes with Agnes Carey, and instantly fell in love with all things dance. Bonnie often recalled that it was a wonderful age to begin. After two years, Miss Agnes gave up teaching to get married, and Bonnie’s parents had to choose another studio. Judith Sproule’s studio was easier to reach, and that became the deciding factor. It was a decision that profoundly changed Bonnie’s life.
With Miss Judith, Bonnie studied the finer things of life almost more than she learned about dance. As Bonnie often said, ‘Miss Judith was involved with the total person. Going anywhere with her was like going to finishing school. Studying under her was like being with a perfectionist, realizing how much she cared about her students, wanting them to reach their own potential. The thrill of a lifetime was to travel with her.’ Throughout Miss Bonnie’s life, her fondness, respect and admiration for Miss Judith never dimmed. I believe Miss Judith truly shaped her into the iconic “Miss Bonnie”, loved and revered by us all.
Bonnie graduated from St. Anthony High School, and studied at Lamar University. While at Lamar, she taught dance in High Island, and later Winnie, to pay for her tuition. Her college studies were interrupted in the early 1950’s with an opportunity to travel to New York City with Miss Judith for intensive dance training and auditions. It was the thrill of a lifetime for a young dancer from Beaumont! I always loved hearing Mom talk about her New York experiences, such as her first apartment in the city, and what it was like to audition and live the life of a professional dancer. My grandparents bravely allowed her to follow her dreams to New York. Bonnie landed a role in a traveling dance production promoting Buick Cars, and spent a year traveling across the USA by train and performing in major cities. When the show concluded, Bonnie returned to Beaumont and resumed teaching for Miss Judith. While she did love performing, teaching dance was her true calling in life.
Around 1958, Mom participated in a beauty pageant. Then-Mayor of Beaumont, Jimmie Cokinos, was a pageant judge. Dad loved recalling that at first glance of Bonnie, he knew she was the love of his life and declared “I’m going to marry that girl!” Their courtship was like a fairytale; can you imagine the awe of young Bonnie being courted by the handsome Mayor? She did play hard-to-get, but Dad was unwavering in his pursuit. Despite their seventeen year age difference, theirs was a match made in heaven.
When Bonnie and Jimmie married in 1960 at St. Anthony’s Cathedral, she gave up teaching at Miss Judith’s to assume the role of wife and homemaker. Dad was 43 when they wed, and eager to start a family. Their first child, Andre Jimmie, was born in 1962. The “little prince” filled their hearts with joy! Two years later, in 1964, came the baby girl, Stacie Jimmie. Mom’s staunch sense of protocol and etiquette may have caused some tension with my long-time-bachelor dad; when I was an infant she held me close and said to him “This one is mine!”
Although I think Andre and I are a great blend of both our parents; it’s easy to see which parent had the most influence on each of us growing up. Mom often recalled, “When we married I was to give up dance. In a Greek family, especially one as strong as his, the wife stays home and keeps house, rears the children. But Jimmie finally realized that importance of doing what you love, and how much more content I was when I could dance.” She taught with Miss Judith until her death in 1972.
The next year, 1973, she opened her own studio, the “Bonnie Cokinos School of Dance” on Calder, where it remains today. No one was more proud of her than my dad, and her mother and father. The dance studio became a family affair, with dad managing the books and sweeping floors, and my grandmother tending the reception desk.
I started ballet at the age of three instead of going to pre-school; I guess it was Mom’s version of homeschooling. As the studio flourished, and Andre and I grew up, we learned how to prepare dinner and take care of ourselves after school. The studio was the gravity around which our family life revolved. Although Mom’s hopes of having a son as a dancer were quickly extinguished, (Andre did perform in one recital around the age of 4 and the photos are adorable!) Andre learned young how to move props back and forth from the theatre, and how to restrain Dad from pulling up the stage floor before the production was over.
Family vacations were planned based on the location of the Dance Masters of America national conventions. With Dad behind the wheel, we took off to Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. Mom did a remarkable job balancing her dance career and motherhood, with her often staying up late into the night casting the next production, working out costumes, or ruminating about some detail of the studio. She was always directing, and we became accustomed to her one-word requests, as she pointed out details to remind us of the proper protocol and what she expected at the moment. We knew that her simple command “arm” meant, “May I have your arm please? It is respectful to offer a lady your arm as you escort her across the room” Or “door” meant “It is proper to open the door for the lady. I will wait until you open the door for me”. We would automatically respond to her one-word direction. She could correct my posture wordlessly by taking a deep breath in as she glanced my way; I knew this was a visual cue to stand up straight.
Act II brought Mom the joy of having grandchildren when Andre and Liz blessed her with Grace and Christopher. Being called “grandmother” or “granny” didn't suit Miss Bonnie, and she chose “Gigi” instead, based on the classic show and film of the same name. Grace’s early years in the studio delighted Miss Bonnie, and with them sharing after studio time baking cookies in Gigi’s kitchen. Christopher followed Andre’s footsteps helping move props and coordinate. I think Mom’s favorite productions of Cinderella were those in which Grace danced, Andre played the King, Liz worked back stage, and Christopher helped with props, all while Gigi watched with delight from her perch backstage.
My mother’s civic involvement was boundless; she loved helping others and promoting the arts! Through her ballet company, Beaumont Ballet Theatre, she was actively involved in Regional Dance America, and Dance Excellence. She was proud to be a lifetime member of Dance Masters of America, for which she served a National President in the early 1990’s. She was so proud to follow her dancers as they matured, with some pursing their own dance dreams by performing on Broadway and with professional companies, or starting their own dance studio. She was equally proud of her dancers who followed other dreams and professions.
As a dance instructor, Miss Bonnie profoundly influenced generations of young girls and boys who were drawn to her graceful, disciplined, and refined disposition. She inspired her students to be the best … Miss Bonnie truly loved managing, teaching, directing, and all that goes into the life of a dance teacher. The epitome of grace and style, she was deeply admired by all who knew her. Her deep faith tempered her celebrity status with humility; I don't think she really grasped how powerfully she influenced scores of young persons. She was a true legend.
Our family is deeply grateful to Miss Bonnie’s “Studio Family” for your enduring love and support. She exited the stage much sooner than any of us expected, but be at peace knowing that she is reunited with her Jimmie and they are dancing across heaven. Andre and I also extend our sincere appreciation to Juanita Henderson and Bonella Sells for their devotion to our parents and helping mom in her final chapter. ~ Miss Bonnie’s daughter, Stacie
Bonnie is survived by her daughter, Stacie Cokinos and partner, Pamela Radford, of Houston; son, Andre Cokinos and wife, Liz, of Beaumont; and grandchildren, Grace Elizabeth Cokinos and Christopher Andre Cokinos.
She is preceded in death by her parents; and beloved husband of fifty three years, Jimmie P. Cokinos.
A gathering of Mrs. Cokinos’ family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with a Christian Vigil at 6:00 p.m., on Friday, September 30, 2016, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, October 1, 2016, at St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica, 700 Jefferson Street, Beaumont.
Memorial Contributions may be made to Beaumont Ballet Theatre, 4555 Calder Avenue, Beaumont, Texas 77706.
