Bonnie Fey Gilliams (born May 30, 1962) is a living American author, and visual artist. She is a philanthropist/social entrepreneur–working in the area of social change for marriage.
(Photo taken Dec. 2022)
Born: May 30, 1962, New York
Nationality: American
Resides: Sebastian, Florida, USA
Spouse: Damien H. Gilliams (b.1960)
Married ( Nov. 9, 1986-current)
Children: (3 Adults)
Damien 30 Software Engineer and Entrepreneur,
Casey 28 Metallurgy Engineer,
Emerick 22 Chemical Engineer
Pet: German shepherd
Occupation(s): Living Female Author, Artist, Realtor/Broker, Social Entrepreneur
Professional Licenses:
- Florida Real Estate Broker (Multiple) (1986-current),
- Certified Pyramid Feng Shui (Science backed) (2014-current),
- Retired New York Cosmetologist (1980’s), Ret. New York Certified Makeup Specialist
Business Owner/Career History: Real estate sales, and property management, restaurant, laundromat, model agency
Bibliography: Self-published books/ CreateSpace and Amazon
- The All States Marriage Handbook For Keeping a Lifetime 4/2020
- All States Marriage Sustainment Act Florida Handbook 9-12/2019
- All States Marriage Sustainment Act United States Handbook 4/2020
- The Marriage Sustainment Act A New System for Success; Protect Your Marriage From The Start 7/2022
Notable:
Founder: Womenspath. Org, Inc. (Social Entrepreneurship) 2009/2014-current
- Florida Legislative Senate bill draft-only 16-01266-15/ Senator Altman/2015/Topic Marriage/ch.741
- Executive Order and District Sponsor requests: Numerous emails and calls to Legislators seeking interest, and available Florida House slots
- Gov. Scott 2015 EO Florida (2015) Governor Rick Scott
- Executive Order President Trump 8:18:20 President Trump email to Secretary Azar
- EO Valerie Jarrett-1 President Biden email to Fmr. Sr. Advisor Valerie Jarrett.
- Response from Representative Bill Posey (2020) Congressman Posey
- Rep. Mayfield 2014 House Representative (2014)
- MSA Rep. Grall House Representative Erin Grall 2019
- MSA Rep. Bracket Bill proposal 2022 House Representative (2022)
Founder: Marriage Sustainment Act. Originator/ Creator. Provide public interest and awareness to advance marriage success and promote added value for marriage education using trusted science and concepts. Attempt to find lawmakers to align laws and open resources. Fill the gap getting strategies and awareness to the public.
Bonnie dedicated years to this self-commissioned research to assist in filling the gap relationship experts say is an issue; getting their important work into the hands of the public so they may have better relationships, more understanding of self and others, save marriages, and reduce brokenness in society through self awareness and education. This work resulted in the formation of the Marriage Sustainment Act and Bonnie’s books — resource books for the people. A non-government “Act.”
Notable/Accepted: United States Library of Congress; (gifted) reviewed and accepted two self published books, only 50-60% are accepted by gift. LOC Gilliams_Bonnie_AL_20201230_B Patrons can read the book in the Reading Room at the Library of Congress.
Copyright: TX0008986636 / 2020-06-26 Title: The All States marriage Handbook; For Keeping a Lifetime.
Interesting fact: Originated and crowned the first Miss Sebastian (1985) in Riverside Park, Sebastian, Florida; shortly before she opened her local model agency.
Personal early life story and facts: Bonnie’s parents divorced when she was three. She was with her mother first for a short time in Arizona, then was raised by her father; a landlord and tree business owner. The family lived on Long Island, New York. Her mother moved to Arizona during the divorce. Later she remarried and gave birth to Bonnie’s younger first 1/2 brother. Bonnie has three older brothers. Her oldest brother lived in a care facility and is a deaf mute. Bonnie has two half sisters, two half brothers, four Brady bunch brothers, twelve sister-in-laws (+-), and six brother-in-laws. Bonnie’s mother is spiritual and practiced Shamanism. Her husband’s mother (deceased) was a Nun and lived in a Catholic Convent.
By the age of twelve Bonnie had “four mothers.” Her birth mother Arlene, and then Joan, Joan, and Judy. Her Brady bunch family years include Joan, with her son and two daughters, then Joan and two babies, half siblings, and then Judy with her four young boys which her father married and years later they divorced. Her father went on to another relationship lasting over forty, they have a grown child, and share a separate family together.
When Bonnie was young she helped with the family tree business answering phones, bookkeeping, and went with her brothers in the big trucks on tree service routes. Later, as a teen she painted rental houses, a shed, and a boat dock.
Bonnie attended high school in Massapequa, N.Y. and at the same time she attended Boces, a vocational school in Belmore, N.Y. where received her Cosmetology license. After graduating highschool she moved out of her family home and became independant. She waitressed, and later achieved her makeup-artist certificate in New York city. She then worked for a large modeling agency in Suffolk county, Long Island NewYork.
At nineteen she met the love of her life, Damien. He was an orphan and raised by Catholic charities at the age of six. In May 1985, after dating five years, together, they moved to Sebastian, Florida following one of Bonnie’s brothers. Shortly after, they started a model agency, model agency article 1986. Bonnie crowned the fist Miss Sebastian July 1985 during the Independence Day celebrations. Today now in 2023, she says at the bottom of the news article she is quoted that she hopes her town will be known for more than just fishing. This has meaning to her because she was told by a Florida Representative that getting a marriage license is just like getting a fishing license and that upset her. The Representative declined to Sponsor the proposal Bonnie presented.
Bonnie and Damien were married on November 9, 1986 and celebrated on the ocean at the Sea Oaks contry club in Vero Beach, Florida. Later, they both gained their real estate license and worked for different companies as sales agents. They each became brokers and bought into a partnership which was an ERA franchise. Both Bonnie and Damien were very successful. They bought and sold many properties and were high achieving sales agents.
At the age of thirty, Bonnie had her first baby. A beautiful red head boy. They had their second child two years later, a beautiful baby girl, and six years later, another amazing beautiful baby boy. As Bonnie and Damien raised their family, they branched off into the hospitality business, and ran several other small businesses. Damien ran the sports bars while Bonnie ran the laundromat, took care of the home, children, and much of the paperwork organization. Like most people, they had their share of challenges, it was not always easy. Married over 36 years, Bonnie and Damien are proud parents. All three of their kids are graduates of the University of Florida and are engineers, and the youngest graduated as summa cum laude.
On January 4, 2018 Bonnie was in a terrible auto wreck. This near death collision changed her life. She remembers immediately after the impact, thinking she did not yet finish her first book about marriage. She worked typing with a large arm cast, editing in doctor offices, and finally in the first months during Covid she published “The All States Marriage Handbook For Keeping a Lifetime” on Amazon, the front matter it is not fully edited.
Bonnie is a visual artist working with porcelain, clay, and painting. She uses her art to bring attention to her literary work. She hopes to bring awareness for helping people find fast solutions to fix friction in our special relationships.
About Bonnie’s Books: She says, “Marriage conflict may come from not knowing and emotional or physical needs are being unmet. I think when we become more aware of who we each are, we can start to outsmart our emotions.” In her work, she connects our deepest feelings to self-actualization and uses awareness and attention to eradicate unnecessary suffering and friction, she provides strategy to create a new baseline. She mentions; she does not advocate staying in a bad marriage, she advocates if one is in marriage to do and learn whatever you can to learn how to be happy with yourself and your partner. Her work is based from trusted and tested science, humanism, and some metaphysics.
“Be your own High Heart Gatekeeper” –Bonnie Fey Gilliams
