Born in Dayton, Ohio, on December 28, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Theodore Cole and Eleanor Brueshaber. She graduated from Oakwood High School, where she was active in theatre and awarded the DAR medal for citizenship. She started riding horses at age four and continued throughout her life. During some years she attended Miss Harris&squo; School in Florida, where her family lived part of the year. For three summers she went to Cimarroncita Ranch Camp in New Mexico. Onnie graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. with a B.A. in English and was awarded the Rodney D. Andrews Prize. She participated in college government and in the riding program. During those years, one summer she was a counselor at Mesacosa Camp in Corninth, N.Y.; during another she took courses at the University of Dayton; and the summer before graduation, traveled with an art study group in Europe. Next she lived in New York City on East 80th Street, with friends from college, and worked for Doubleday, Pantheon Books and Viking Press. She volunteered at Lighthouse for the Blind and taught educated immigrants English as a second language. She met her husband Bob in New York; they married in Dayton and lived on East 53rd Street in New York before moving to Chicago in 1963 and Kenilworth four years later. There they raised their three precious children, and Onnie helped with school community, and Girl Scout activities. She worked for a help line, Contact Chicago. She held several positions on the Junior League of Chicago Board, and volunteered as a docent at the Chicago Art Institute; as a Great Books leader in Chicago public schools, and as a teacher of English to illiterate Spanish housewives. At Holy Comforter Church she taught Sunday School, planned and directed the Christmas pageant one year, and drove to West Virginia with the youth group to repair houses. One summer Bob and Onnie took the children on a special around the world trip, to expose them to different cultures and people. When their children were in college, Onnie worked at Williams and Montgomery law firm for two years. They visited their children during that time in Germany, England and Spain. Onnie was especially involved these years with St. Gregory Episcopal School in inner-city Chicago, teaching and on the board.While planning and building Jubilee Farm in Mill Spring, Bob and Onnie took a riding and camping trip to Kenya, a unique and life-changing experience. Then they made the move to North Carolina, settling in with their two horses and a dog. They took Education for Ministry at Holy Cross Church, where Onnie served on the vestry and was outreach chairman for three years. They gave up their farm in 2001 and moved to Tryon. They continued their work with their businesses, Fulfillment Solutions and Expressit.Survivors include Bob; daughter Blythe Thompson and her husband Jeff of Belmont, N.C.; two sons, Doug and his wife Meredith of Glenview, Ill., and Rob and his wife Laura of Naperville, Ill.; two sisters, Phyllis Turner of Terre Haute, Ind., and Julie Trenholm of Abbeville, S.C., one brother, Ted Dye of Beverly Hills, Mich., and also seven grandchildren.A memorial service will be held at Holy Cross Episcopal Church, 150 Melrose Ave. in Tryon on Saturday, March 1, at 2 p.m. The Rev. Dr. Michael Doty officiating. The family welcomes friends in the fellowship hall after the service.Memorials may be made to Holy Cross Church, 150 Melrose Ave. Tryon, N.C.; Cup of Water Ministries, P.O. Box 99, Landrum, S.C. 29356.Asheville Area Alternative Funeral & Cremation Services is assisting the family.‐ paid obituary