Biography:

Bonnie Lee Melchior died 29 January 2026 at the age of 85.

Born in Indiana in 1940, she moved several times before attending secondary school in Long Beach, California, and then going to Stanford University. While there she attended Stanford-in-Italy (in Florence) where she met her husband-to-be, Bill, whom she married in 1966. (She died, in hospice, one week after her 60th anniversary.) She got a master’s degree from UCLA and a doctorate from the University of Oregon. She taught at Cerritos College (Norwalk, California), the University of Oregon (Eugene, Oregon), American University (Washington, DC), and for several decades at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. She enjoyed teaching about the renaissance (especially Shakespeare) and linguistics. She emphasized engaging with the text, disliking such lazy approaches as using Cliff Notes (and was glad she didn’t have to deal with students cheating by using AI); she wanted her students to think about what they were reading. This love of real thinking led her to appreciate and teach linguistics. (But she disliked committees and grading papers.)

Bonnie’s other main love was duplicate bridge. For more than 40 years she played frequently at the local bridge house, eventually becoming one of the best players there. Known as a fierce competitor, she was a feared but knowledgeable and helpful opponent.

Bonnie and Bill traveled extensively – more that 20 trips to different parts of the world, to places including Japan, New Zealand, Iceland, Egypt, and Peru. Among her favorite trips were two safari trips to Africa. Her sunny disposition and incisive thought will be missed by those who knew her.

A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 am on Wednesday, March 18, at Second Presbyterian Church. Donations in her memory can be made to one of her favorite animal charities: the Humane Society of Pulaski County, Alley Cat Allies, or Tiger Haven.