Reverend Bonita H. Owens, age 68, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at Levine & Dickson Hospice House in Huntersville, North Carolina. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 12 noon at Little Rock A.M.E. Zion Church, Charlotte. Born December 31, 1946 in Baltimore, Maryland, to Bernice Delores and Goldie Millard Moore, Reverend Bonita was one of five children, including one sister and three brothers. She was later raised by her grandparents, Lewis and Bessie Moore. Also known as "Bunny" among family and close friends, Reverend Bonita earned her high school diploma from the Baltimore City Public School System. After earning her high school diploma, she began her career as a federal government employee, working for the Health Care Financing Administration, where she later retired. She also sang with the Drayton Singers gospel group. During this time, she married her husband, Kenneth L. Owens, Sr., and had two children, De Anna and Kenny, Jr. She was preceded in death by Kenneth Sr. and son, Kenny, Jr.; and brothers, Gary Moore and Joseph Moore. Reverend Bonita and her family worshipped at the Pennsylvania Avenue A.M.E. Zion Church in Baltimore, Maryland. While there, she became an Associate Minister under the tutelage of Bishop Marshall H. Strickland. In 1993, Reverend Bonita was appointed as Senior Pastor to her first church, Saint Thomas A.M.E. Zion Church, in Somerville, New Jersey, where she served for five years. From 1998 to 2006, she also served as Senior Pastor at two other A.M.E. Zion churches in New Jersey, including Shiloh A.M.E. Zion Church in Englewood and Saint James A.M.E. Zion Church in Perth Amboy. In 2006, Reverend Bonita relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina where she took a three-year hiatus from working. In 2009, she then became Senior Pastor at Zion A.M.E. Zion Church in Concord for approximately two years. During her life, Reverend Bonita earned two degrees, including an undergraduate degree in English from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland in Baltimore and her Master of Divinity degree from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Up until four months prior to her passing, she was serving as an Associate Minister at Little Rock A.M.E. Zion Church, working as a substitute teacher for the Cabarrus County Public School System and was in the process of completing her second Master's Degree in pastoral counseling from Liberty University Online. Reverend Bonita will be especially remembered for her anointed singing and ministering talents, as well as the many lives that she has touched with her inspirational blog Life and Grace, located at http://ebonywomanofgrace.com/ She is survived by her daughter, De Anna L. Ferguson (Eugene); grandson, Kendel D. George; daughter-in-law, Ren Owens; sister, Olivia D. Myers (Charles); brother, Clarence Moore; Doggies, Mack and Mickey; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.