Bonnie M. Bechtold
Bonnie enjoyed cooking, reading, traveling, sewing, shopping, listening to music, and spending time at the Columbia Senior Center. Above all, she treasured time with her family and her beloved grand kitties and grand dogs.
Bonnie M. Bechtold, 71, of West Hempfield Township, was peacefully reunited with her beloved husband, Richard J. Bechtold, Jr., on Thursday, June 25, 2026, after a brief illness at Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center. They were married on June 29, 1974, and shared many years together before his passing in 2015. Born in Lancaster, Bonnie was the daughter of the late Doris Consylman Yost.
Bonnie worked in the Housekeeping Department at Lancaster General Hospital for 18 years before retiring in 2023. Prior to that, she was employed at the K Café at Kmart on Fruitville Pike in Lancaster. She enjoyed cooking, reading, traveling, sewing, shopping, listening to music, and spending time at the Columbia Senior Center. Above all, she treasured time with her family and her beloved grand kitties and grand dogs.
She is survived by her daughter, Crystal McKinney, widow of the late Ed McKinney, Sr., her grandchildren, Emily (Esteban) Vargas and Edward McKinney Jr.; her siblings, Sandra Vazquez, Judy Birchfield, and Mark Yost; sister-in-law Darlene (Mike) Hefflefinger; as well as other grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was also the mother of her son, Richard J. Bechtold III.
Bonnie especially enjoyed volunteering her time at the Senior Center and valued the friendships she made there. One of her favorite memories was being crowned Queen at the Columbia Senior Center's 2026 Western-themed Senior Prom, an honor that brought her great joy and many smiles.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard J. Bechtold, Jr.; her mother, Doris Consylman Yost; her son-in-law, Ed McKinney, Sr.; and her siblings, Dennis Parke, Richard Yost Jr., and Jacob Parke Jr.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be made to the Columbia Senior Center in Bonnie's memory. The love, friendship, and sense of community she found there brought her great joy throughout her retirement.
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