Elaine Lois Bonnell Douglas

Elaine Lois Bonnell Douglas was born Sept. 19, 1950, to Earl and Ruby Bonnell of Glady, West Virginia. She was the second of two children brought up in a home that instilled in her a strong work ethic and an even stronger faith.

At 16, she was recommended by her typing instructor for a position in Elkins, West Virginia. At that tender age, she secured an apartment in Elkins and began work at the Frank E. Wilson Lumber Company, where she was a valued and dedicated employee for 49 years. This first and only job enabled her to buy the 1969 Ford Mustang that inspired her love of speed and the song “Life is a Highway.”

She met the love of her life, James Page Douglas of Buckhannon, West Virginia, in 1969 through Milford and Marty Reger. Their first date was at the Stardust in Buckhannon, and while Jim was immediately smitten it took almost a year to deliver the first kiss. The tales of their sometimes-awkward courtship are family lore, with Jim affectionately bestowing upon her the title “Prize of Randolph County” when they married on Sept. 10, 1972, at Hart Chapel on Chenoweth Creek. This title held true beyond Jim’s death on Feb. 25, 2023, to the day she joined him in heaven.

In their 50+ years of marriage, they built multiple businesses, exploring ownership of a cabinet shop, an auction house, a hotel, and a restaurant. Their financial success came from Douglas Construction, which built many notable homes and businesses throughout Randolph County. Through every venture they were a team, with Elaine supporting each business with her bookkeeping skills while keeping a full-time job. They used their success, which they felt to be a blessing, to bless the lives of others.

They built a family through sheer love, adding foster children that God specifically placed in their path. Their children fondly recall every holiday, where Elaine would bring family together with elaborate meals that were impeccably appointed. She loved to entertain, and everyone around her experienced this blessing. If you were lucky, you experienced it more than once.

Together, they led the youth at Hart Chapel and discovered a passion for bringing people to Christ. Their time there built life-long friendships and community that they treasured through every challenge that came their way. Their commitment to Christ’s calling on their lives led them to start a church out of their home during its construction in the early 1990s. That small church became Sound of Triumph Church on Goff Street. It grew until a new location was needed, moving to the Elkins Mountain Theatre and rebranded as Summit Church, later to be acquired by Centerbranch Church in 2026. Elaine remained steadfast in the vision she and Jim shared for their church and their family until her last breath.

Elaine is survived by her beloved brother, Loren Bonnell (Charlene); nephew, Nathaniel Bonnell (Christina) and their children Braelyn and Kelsea; niece, Farrah Farley (Cameron) and their children Pierslyn and Breckston.

She was blessed to have three sisters through marriage, who survive her, Rita Karen Douglas (preceded in death by husband George Pignatello), Pamela Jill Douglas (Lee Martin) and Amy Jane Douglas (Kris Hunnicut), all of Lexington, Virginia.

Also surviving are the children with whom she and Jim built loving and involved relationships, Dale Leeson and wife, Alice, Velora Winn and husband, Mike, Sherry Kyle, Katina Dixon and Dave Anderson, whose in-law bond never faded despite changing circumstances.

They also had the honor of being present for two wonderful god daughters, Wendy Phillips Jones (Kevin) and Becky Phillips Wentz (Jeremiah). They touched the lives of countless others who had the privilege of being welcomed into their home.

Elaine’s grandchildren were the treasure of her life. Lily Sinclair, Miles, Gage, Jaide, Zayne, Lantz, Zach, Isaiah, Malachi, Reagan, Cambrie and Oakley all brought her tremendous joy and pride.

The family that Jim and Elaine built is a testament to the bonds that are forged by the deepest love, appreciation and care. They celebrate her transition to the arms of the savior she served her entire life, and know that her beloved Jim welcomed her with open arms.

Please join this celebration by attending services at Centerbranch Church on June 27, 2026.

Visitation is scheduled from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., with services following from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., with Pastor Ron Phillips officiating.

Please make donations to Feed the City, a charity that Elaine was passionate about, in lieu of flowers.

Checks can be made to Centerbranch Church, 245 Martin St., Elkins, WV 26241 with “Feed the City” in the memo line.

The Tomblyn Funeral Home of Elkins is in charge of the arrangements for Elaine Lois Bonnell Douglas.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.tomblynfuneralhome.com.