Bonnie Warren, a journalist, author and editor who wrote about New Orleans architecture, design, food and culture for local and national publications and also worked as publicist for Brennan’s restaurant and Houmas House, died Monday. She was 86.
Warren died at a nursing facility in Silver Spring, Maryland. She had moved there recently to be closer to her son, Dr. Nathan Crone, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“Just as she was with so many of her public relations clients, she was my biggest cheerleader and publicist throughout life. She was incredibly loving and supportive and positive with everyone she came in contact with,” he said.
Warren’s long local journalism career included a stint as editor of New Orleans Magazine in the 1970s, where she was known by her married name, Bonnie Crone, and wrote a monthly column called “Around the Belt.” The column, whose logo included an illustration of a streetcar, chronicled the comings and goings of New Orleanians from all walks of life.
In recent years, she was founding editor of one of the magazine’s sister publications, New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles.
"She was very keen on showing how the homes reflected the personalities of the homeowners,” said Errol Laborde, executive editor of both magazines. "She always treated each story with the utmost attention to detail.”
In that work, Warren drew on decades of experience with Better Homes and Gardens, where she served as New Orleans city editor. She also wrote for Metropolitan Home Magazine for more than two decades.
“She knew all the major architects in New Orleans and interior designers and so she did a lot of stories about them. She really loved that part of her work,” Crone said.
Warren also compiled some of her coverage of local homes and homeowners into two books, New Orleans Historic Homes and New Orleans Homes at Christmas, published by Pelican Publishing. Both featured photography by Cheryl Gerber, who became a close friend and considered Warren a mentor.
“There are few people in this world who have meant as much to me as Bonnie Warren has,” Gerber wrote in a Facebook post Monday, as she recalled her friend’s talent as well as her generosity. “We have shared countless bylines, books, adventures and lunches. But what I will cherish most is the way she nurtured me as a friend and surrogate mother during my darkest times, always showing me the light.”
Gerber and Warren led a group of women they dubbed the Pleasant Ladies, many of whom worked in local media and would gather for monthly lunches, usually at women-owned restaurants. Gerber praised Warren for introducing her to an amazingly wide circle of friends and colleagues. Gerber dedicated her recent book of photographs, "Cherchez la Femme: New Orleans Women," to Warren.
Warren began her local journalism career at the now-defunct West Bank Guide newspaper, her son said. She started working there soon after moving to New Orleans in 1962 with her then-husband, Jimmie Crone.
“She was about to start college at UNO when she became pregnant with me and after staying home a few years, she started writing and just fell in love with it. She had no real training, but learned by doing," her son said.
Later, Warren also served as a food critic for Gambit and contributed to many other publications including Louisiana Life, Country Roads, Woman’s Day, Architectural Digest, Playboy, InStyle, Redbook and National Enquirer.
Her parents were Pentecostal missionaries who left the United States to work in South Africa, where Warren was born. They lived there until she was ten years old and returned to America soon after World War II ended in Europe.
Warren grew up and attended high school in Piedmont, South Carolina, where she was valedictorian and editor of her school’s newspaper. After living in Tennessee, she and her then-husband came to New Orleans in 1962 when he took a job at NASA's Michoud facility helping Boeing build rockets to launch into space.
In addition to her work in journalism, Warren was the director of public relations at Brennan’s restaurant for 29 years. She also handled public relations for the Krewe of Bacchus, which was founded by former Brennan’s owner Pip Brennan.
In 2019, friends and members of the women’s group Les Dames d’Escoffier organized an event called “Bonnie-Gras” to honor Warren. She was named an honorary dame by the nonprofit group made up of women in the food, beverage and hospitality professions.
She also managed media relations for Houmas House and Gardens for more than a decade and served as publicist for Hotel Monteleone.
Her civic involvement included serving as a board member of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival.
"If she could help you in any way she was there," recalled Peggy Scott Laborde, senior producer for WYES-TV and a co-founder and president of the annual literary festival. "I witnessed it numerous times with mutual friends. She was very nurturing and could figure out ways to make things better in the community in a diplomatic way."
In the 1980s, Mayor Dutch Morial even appointed Warren to the Board of Zoning Adjustments. A resident of Algiers, she had served on the mayor's Algiers Task Force and on an Algiers Drainage Advisory Committee. While she might have appeared to be an unlikely choice for a political appointment, she explained in a 1983 Times-Picayune article that lifestyle writing actually gave her a solid background for responding to neighborhood issues.
"We are very impacted by everything - not just the four walls around you," she said.
Her son said he remained in awe of his mother's talents at bringing people together and bringing out the best in them.
"As I grew older, I was so impressed watching her with all the people she knew. She was just a super positive person, always a font of optimism and encouragement and always on your side," he said.
In addition to her son and daughter-in-law Catherine, survivors include a grandson, Evan Crone, and a sister, Margaret Sanderfer of Santa Barbara, California.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are preferred to St. Philip's Episcopal Church, 3643 Aurora Dr., New Orleans, LA 70131.