Bonita Sammons Handy, 73

Funeral services for beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend Bonita Sammons Handy, 73, will be held graveside on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 10 a.m. at Wadley City Cemetery. Visitation took place Tuesday July 27, 2021 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Wadley United Methodist Church. She passed peacefully in her home July 25, 2021.

Mrs. Bonita Sammons Handy was born in Louisville on February 29, 1948 to Juanita Greenway Sammons and Barney Harris Sammons of Wadley. She grew up the oldest sibling to Bruce, Ginger, and Jan.

Mrs. Handy was a “jack of all trades,” as she called herself. She was known by most people as “The Cake Lady,” but before that career, she attended the Bowman Business School in Augusta and later went on to be a bookkeeper at Murray Biscuit Company until she married Jerrell Handy in March 1970. She and Jerrell (“Johnny,” as he was known to most people) moved to Wadley, where he started a cabinet shop and she started an upholstery business in her home. In 1971, the Handys welcomed their first child, a son, Jason. Four and a half years later, their second child, daughter Jodi, was born. As the years went by, Johnny turned the cabinet business into Handy Construction; Bonita was instrumental in helping this business grow. She also started sharing her love of baking with her children’s classmates, which led to opening her own bakery in Wadley called Bonita’s Sweet Shoppe. In 1995, she and Johnny bought a home that was 120+ years old. Together, they refurbished this house, and it became known as The Magnolia House. Mrs. Handy successfully ran a full-scale cakes, catering, and events venue there until 2008 when she had to scale back due to health concerns. Her love of baking was too grand to fully retire, and she continued to make cakes of all kinds until her death. She was preceded in death by her parents, Barney Sammons and Juanita Sammons, and her husband of 29 years, Jerrell Handy.

Survivors include her son, Jason Handy of Athens; her daughter, Jodi (Ron) Gibson of Yulee, Florida; five grandchildren, who were her pride and joy, Bailey (Megan) Handy of Watkinsville, Brylie Handy of Wadley, and Sam, Tyler and Kate Gibson, all of Yulee; her brother, Bruce (Lynn) Sammons of Martinez; her sisters, Ginger (Albert) Hall of Swainsboro and Jan (Greg) Gaston of Wadley; many nieces and nephews who lovingly called her “Tootsie;” as well as her beloved dogs, Beau and Bella.

Tomlinson Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.