by the Equine Info Exchange Editorial Team
It has been a challenging year for most people and a heartbreaking time for many of us. We recently lost an advisor who quickly became a good friend, Bonnie Marlewski-Probert. We first met Bonnie prior to the launch of the global equine website EquineInfoExchange.com, and she quickly became the “go-to” woman for many aspiring writers and fledgling small business owners whom she encouraged to “push off the edge of the pool” and not to fear sinking. If there’s something about business or technology which she didn’t know (which only happened occasionally), she would research it, learn it, do it, then teach it to anyone who wanted to learn too.
She shared her news with us when she was first diagnosed with colon cancer and then spent two fervent years battling it while writing about her personal journey. Always upbeat, Bonnie was a fighter until the end – many didn’t realize the degree of her illness until she passed away.
We will remember her as a strong and independent, determined woman who had more energy than the Energizer bunny. In her 20’s she ran her own horse farm. She trained many young people to ride and love horses as she did. She was an accomplished author, wrote over 1000 articles for various magazines, was a syndicated columnist, and published many books. She also owned her own publishing company, Whitehall Publishing, where she helped authors through the book publishing process, provided marketing services, and helped build brands. Through this endeavor, she helped hundreds of people realize their dreams of becoming authors and telling their tales. Through her company, Bonnie also worked with many nonprofits to help them raise funds for their charities.
Bonnie is survived by her husband Keith Probert and three sisters, Deb Marlewski, Marie Laschinski, and Pam Marlewski. Per her wishes, please follow the guidelines from the American Cancer Society for cancer screening. An ounce of prevention is worth 100 pounds of cure.
Shortly before her passing, she posted a quote by Mary Anne Radmacher: "Courage does not always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”
You can find many of her books and more in our section on Books.
