Bonnie Ray Atwood, who published two books through PathBinder, died Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center from complications of leukemia.
A Richmond-based writer, lobbyist and human rights advocate, she was born April 27, 1947, in Arlington, Virginia. She graduated from George Mason University and the T.C. Williams School of Law. She was a member of the Virginia Professional Communicators, Irish American Society, Quoit Club, Metropolitan Business League, Parliamentary Law Club of Richmond and Thomas Jefferson High School Vikings Foundation.
Bonnie was a strong advocate for civil rights in the 1960s and 1970s and long-time supporter of Thomas Jefferson High School. In the 1990s, she helped organize efforts to save the school when city officials sought to close it. In 2007, she successfully petitioned for the erection of a monument in Richmond commemorating Chief Black Hawk, a Native American who was held prisoner in the city after he protested the taking of native lands.
She wrote articles for local newspapers and magazines for many years. In 2020, she published My Journey Through Eldercare: The Search for Peace and Meaning, an account of caring for her mother. In March 2026, she published Avalanche: When Everything Changed, a novel based on her experiences as a skater in a national touring ice skating show.
She is survived by her son, Joseph Green, of Richmond.
We at PathBinder loved working with Bonnie. She was a very positive individual, great writer, and decent human being. We will miss her.