Quillie Edward Bonner, III

Quillie Edward Bonner, III was born on January 14, 1999, in Salem Oregon to Anita Louise Spore and Quillie Edward Bonner, Jr. From the minute he was born, he was a light to this world! When Quillie was 2 ½ years old, Anita enrolled him at St. John Lutheran School and he attended there through kindergarten. The teachers there taught him the values and a love for Jesus that influenced him to be thoughtful and caring towards others throughout his life. He went on to attend Auburn Elementary and Houck Middle schools. Quillie was the biggest kid in the 8th grade, so naturally he was recruited to play football. It suited him well except that he was actually nervous about possibly hurting his teammates and opposing players when he tackled them. That’s just how kind and considerate he was. He went on to attend North Salem High School where he played football all four years. He was a great player, teammate, brother, and someone who no one could be down while they were around him. And, he joined track and field, competing in discus and shot put. He broke a school record, but will be especially remembered by his teammates for the way he made their meets and practices better because of how he treated those around him, and by his supportive and kind nature. Besides sports, Quillie enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He was lovingly given the nickname “Lil Dog”, by his sisters and his brothers called him “Quills”. Quillie brought love and light to his family. He also loved listening to music and stopping at Dutch Brothers for coffee. For the past 3 years, Quillie was a very reliable and dedicated employee at Little Caesar’s Pizza. He worked every Friday and Saturday and was eventually promoted to a management position. His smile was always so friendly and welcoming, and co-workers as well as customers became his friends.  After graduating from high school, Quillie attended Western Oregon University (WOU) where he went on to play rugby during his frosh year. He was a 4th year student working on a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Business and Music Production. Music was his passion and something he could explore creatively. He loved to compose beats and create music. He was incredibly intelligent and his favorite class was chemistry. He wrote in his college scholarship essays that he would like to someday work for the CDC of NASA. He was set to graduate this winter.  On October 3, 2021 Quillie’s bright light and beautiful smile left this world much too soon. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. We were blessed by his kindness and he will forever inspire us to extend kindness to others.  Quillie is survived by his mother, Anita Spore; father, Quillie Bonner, Jr.; siblings, Koreen Bonner, Deneen Hills, Kristina Woods, Ramona Bonner, K’isha Bonner, Aaron Spore, Ashley Jernigan, and Alex Groves; nieces/nephews, Marlee Bonner, Jameela Bonner, Jadenn Woods, Cauvel Thompson, Jaicee Hills, Emma Woods, Carter Hills, Kingston Bonner and Riley Jernigan.