Following their marriage, Bonnel went to France with her husband, who had a distinguished career in the French Navy, rising to be chief of the maritime health service (chef du service santé des gens de mer) in 1969-72 and an internationally recognized biologist associated with the World Health Organization.
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After discovering a love for history in Texas, Bonnel went to the Université de Genève, Switzerland, while her husband was serving at the headquarters of the World Health Organization from 1951.