I have had the opportunity to watch some very special athletes during my nearly 40 years of covering high school sports in the St. Louis area.<\/p>\n
In addition to witnessing the accomplishments of these athletes, I have also gotten to know many of their parents and family members over the years.<\/p>\n
One of those truly special individuals was Rosetta Bonner, the matriarch of one of the top basketball playing families in St. Louis. I was very sad to learn that Rosetta passed away last week at the age of 88.<\/p>\n
The most well-known family member is Rosetta\u2019s son Anthony Bonner, the former Vashon High and Saint Louis University star who spent nine years in the National Basketball Association.<\/p>\n
I have known Anthony for nearly 40 years and whenever I see him at any kind of event, the conversation always starts with me asking him one question.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019s Mom?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want to know about anything else until I got a report on how Mrs. Bonner was doing. She had a beautiful soul with an outgoing personality that just drew people to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was like everybody\u2019s mom,\u201d said Daryl \u201cPee Wee\u201d Lenard, a local basketball legend and close family friend. \u201cShe was always full of life and full of laughter. She was bold and very confident about life. We lost a special one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rosetta Bonner was a constant presence at any game that a Bonner family member was playing in. She loved basketball and she loved her family. She was a regular at high school games, college games and even the summer league games at the Bonner League. When you walked into the gym, you didn\u2019t have to look for her. You would hear her loud, raspy voice and say to yourself, \u201cYes, Mrs. Bonner is in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was a wonderful lady, but she was always one who told you what was on her mind. If something needed to be said, she didn\u2019t hesitate to speak her mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone could relate to her because she was real,\u201d Anthony Bonner said. \u201cShe was the loudest and most vocal person at the games and she was so supportive of us. And she would tell you what she thought. She was always herself at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs. Bonner also had a sense of humor that was off the charts. It was quick and it could be biting. I can attest to this personally because she got me one time at a game nearly 30 years ago. I mean she got me good.<\/p>\n
It was back in 1995 when I was doing radio play-by-play for Public High League basketball games on KATZ. On this night, the late Richard \u201cOnion\u201d Horton and I were broadcasting a Vashon game at Gateway Tech. One of the Wolverines top players was Rosetta\u2019s grandson Lamont Bonner. He was wearing these thick goggles during the game. I made the comment to Onion that Lamont looked a little like Steve Urkel, from the 90\u2019s sit-com Family Matters.<\/p>\n
A couple of weeks later, I was back in Gateway Tech\u2019s gym for another Vashon game. As I walked into the building, I heard this loud voice calling my name. I knew exactly who it was. It was Mrs. Bonner.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarl Austin! Earl Austin! I know your big (butt) wasn\u2019t calling my grandbaby Urkel on the radio last week.\u201d That entire section broke out in laughter. And guess what. So did I. All I could do was walk over into her waiting arms to give her a hug. I got a kick out of her always addressing me by my full name.<\/p>\n
One other moment that I will cherish with Mrs. Bonner came in 1994 when her husband Isaac passed away. I remember going over to the house and spending a few hours with her. I just sat and listened to her talk about her husband.<\/p>\n
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the family members and friends of Rosetta Bonner. We loved her and we are going to miss her very much.<\/p>\n
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