Obituary for Vincent G. Bonnanzio
This story is not altogether unique: a young man meets a young woman, they fall in love, marry, and have four children. Eventually, they have many grandchildren (nine) and even a great-grandchild.
That, of course, is not the whole story - but rather headlines captured from a much fuller, meaningful, and purposeful life which, for Jim (Vincent) Bonnanzio, physically ended after 94 years on July 21, 2022.
Of course, recounting Jim’s long rich life absent of his wife Anita is not possible. After all, their journey together lasted 68 years!
Married in 1954 by their close friend Fr. Robert Rappleyea, they married in Saints Philip and James Roman Catholic Church in the Bronx, NY. Surrounded by family, including Jim’s mother Mildred, and Anita’s parents (John and Louise Taddonio), that church and its parish school would sit at the very center of their family’s life for most of the next two decades.
More immediately, the next four years after their wedding would see Anita and Jim’s home rapidly fill with children: Vincent (Jim), Donna and John. In later years, their fourth child, Michael, survived for less than a day. Even so, Michael was never overlooked or forgotten in the family’s heart and prayers.
As the years moved on, Jim and Anita kept their kids busy in all the usual ways. Their children were especially fortunate in that they could escape much of Bronx’s summer heat with long stays in Belmar, NJ. Though just 90 minutes away from New York, Belmar felt like another world for everyone. The kids had the ocean within walking distance, cousins to pass his time, clean air, and safe streets in which to roam. For dad, he had fishing.
If you know Jim Bonnanzio, fishing was always on his mind. In the winter, he would read his fishing magazines and repair his rods and reels. Eventually, he had a fishing boat. His favorite was named Mongoose. A mongoose, of course, is a hunter of snakes. And though Jim’s singular purpose for Mongoose was catching fish (no water skiing or swimming was allowed), Jim and his sons loved the idea that they were somehow predators on the high seas!
Of course, when there weren’t any bluefish to be caught in Long Island Sound (or none that they could catch!), Jim relentlessly pursued other species along the eastern seaboard: Cod in Quincy, flounder in Peconic Bay and, of course, striped bass in Cuttyhunk, MA and Cape Cod Bay. There was even a sailfish wrestled aboard in the Bahamas.
Still, that wasn’t enough. Tucked between Jim’s saltwater adventures were his occasional freshwater pursuits of trout and whatever else he could cull from remote and bone-chilling lakes in upstate, NY, Quebec and who knows where else.
In addition to fishing, Jim was a hunter. Quick to bristle over the notion that the sport was unacceptable, he understood that deer hunting, for example, was critical to restoring balance in nature. Indeed, Jim loved the great outdoors and all its wildlife. And that love extended, of course, to his life at home.
When he was a boy, his favorite dog was a German Shepard named Timmy. Smart, rambunctious and his constant companion, the mere mention of his beloved Timmy brought tears to his eyes 80 years after his boyhood friend had passed.
In Jim’s latter years, a cat was better suited to his and Anita’s lifestyle. Her name was Mimi - a gift from their daughter Donna. A part of their lives for over a decade, Mimi was especially attached to Jim, but was wildly protective of them both. When visitors stopped by, Mimi terrified all who dared to enter her family’s space. But she was always gentle and affectionate to Jim and Anita.
Of course, there’s much more about Jim’s nearly 95 years, including his life before becoming a family man.
Having attended Manhattan Aviation (a high-tech high school of its day), Jim wanted to be an aviator. In fact, by the time he graduated, he was piloting planes from a small airfield on Staten Island. He could also disassemble planes and reconstruct them. Decades later, he could still explain the physics of flight and describe the cockpit’s instrument cluster. But because he graduated in 1945, Jim wanted to fly in the U.S. Marines.
But that was not to be.
Needing permission from his parents to join the Corps, he was soon on a troop train to boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. With the war in Europe over, and the war with Japan still raging, he was anxious to join his fellow Marines. But in August 1945, the war in the Pacific abruptly ended, and aviators were no longer needed.
Still, Jim’s service was interesting - if not safe and even fun. Eventually stationed in America’s new naval base in Bermuda, one day he was unexpectedly summoned to the base’s commanding officer. Having previously found himself there for running his underwear up a flagpole (details remain sketchy), he was certain that another dressing down was in the offing.
Instead, his reputation as a fisherman came to the fore.
The base commander informed Jim that a VIP would soon arrive at the naval base. He was coming for much-needed “R and R,” and Jim was to take him fishing. Those were his orders.
The next day, a motor yacht named “Sequoia” tied up in the naval yard. The VIP aboard was the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S Truman.
Jim Bonnanzio had a new fishing companion!
In later years, he would confide to one of his sons that he doesn’t remember voting for Mr. Truman, though he conceded that he was a great guy and, more importantly, was a pretty darn good fisherman. That was Jim’s ultimate compliment.
After the military, Jim pursued another passion: photography. Not just a hobby, he tried to capitalize on the unfolding post-war baby-boom having taken portraits of babies, children, and young families. That work was enjoyable, but it wasn’t particularly lucrative.
Through the years, there were other businesses that would support Jim’s family including a dry-cleaning store and a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store. Later, he would prove to be an adept car salesman, though it was always clear that if not for his honesty, he would have fared better financially.
To that end, Jim would tell stories of being dressed down by his various sales managers for not “upselling” accessories that the dealerships’ customers didn’t need. And worst of all, he even sent a customer (or two) to competitors’ dealerships because they sold cars that were better suited to their needs!
Yes, Jim Bonnanzio was always an honest man.
Again, these are mere brushstrokes of a life lived fully - though like most, not always easily. Jim lived his life by example, fortified by the power of faith, prayer, and love. Though decades had passed since his service, he remained true in all aspects of his life to the Marine Corps credo Semper Fidelis: Always Faithful.
For those of us who knew Jim Bonnanzio, he was a man who loved his church, he was a man who loved his country, a man who loved his classical music, a man who whistled to himself (and others!), and a man who sang show tunes that were forgotten 100 years ago. He was also a relentless reader of history, knew more about the Civil War than Abraham Lincoln, and was a keen observer of the world around him. He didn’t like technology (“who needs a cellphone?”), rock n’ roll (“You call that music?”), or any “new” movies. (“Hollywood hasn’t made a good flick since “Twelve O’clock High.”) For the record, that was released in 1949.
Regardless, no one could argue that Jim Bonnanzio wasn’t smart, informed, funny, kind and gentle. And though this point needn’t be repeated, he was a man who simply loved his wife Anita and their entire family.
Jim Bonnanzio was one-of-a kind - and the best kind at that.
Prologue: Jim Bonnanzio is survived by his wife of 68 years Anita, as well as his son Vincent and his wife Jane; Donna, and their brother John and his wife Sally. In addition, Jim was a devoted grandfather to Peter, James, and Annie; Madeleine, Sophie, Abigail, and Geoffrey; Alexandra, Michael and his wife Sarah, and his great-grandson Sam.
To view a Livestream of the Funeral Mass please click here https://icaparish.org/
That, of course, is not the whole story - but rather headlines captured from a much fuller, meaningful, and purposeful life which, for Jim (Vincent) Bonnanzio, physically ended after 94 years on July 21, 2022.
Of course, recounting Jim’s long rich life absent of his wife Anita is not possible. After all, their journey together lasted 68 years!
Married in 1954 by their close friend Fr. Robert Rappleyea, they married in Saints Philip and James Roman Catholic Church in the Bronx, NY. Surrounded by family, including Jim’s mother Mildred, and Anita’s parents (John and Louise Taddonio), that church and its parish school would sit at the very center of their family’s life for most of the next two decades.
More immediately, the next four years after their wedding would see Anita and Jim’s home rapidly fill with children: Vincent (Jim), Donna and John. In later years, their fourth child, Michael, survived for less than a day. Even so, Michael was never overlooked or forgotten in the family’s heart and prayers.
As the years moved on, Jim and Anita kept their kids busy in all the usual ways. Their children were especially fortunate in that they could escape much of Bronx’s summer heat with long stays in Belmar, NJ. Though just 90 minutes away from New York, Belmar felt like another world for everyone. The kids had the ocean within walking distance, cousins to pass his time, clean air, and safe streets in which to roam. For dad, he had fishing.
If you know Jim Bonnanzio, fishing was always on his mind. In the winter, he would read his fishing magazines and repair his rods and reels. Eventually, he had a fishing boat. His favorite was named Mongoose. A mongoose, of course, is a hunter of snakes. And though Jim’s singular purpose for Mongoose was catching fish (no water skiing or swimming was allowed), Jim and his sons loved the idea that they were somehow predators on the high seas!
Of course, when there weren’t any bluefish to be caught in Long Island Sound (or none that they could catch!), Jim relentlessly pursued other species along the eastern seaboard: Cod in Quincy, flounder in Peconic Bay and, of course, striped bass in Cuttyhunk, MA and Cape Cod Bay. There was even a sailfish wrestled aboard in the Bahamas.
Still, that wasn’t enough. Tucked between Jim’s saltwater adventures were his occasional freshwater pursuits of trout and whatever else he could cull from remote and bone-chilling lakes in upstate, NY, Quebec and who knows where else.
In addition to fishing, Jim was a hunter. Quick to bristle over the notion that the sport was unacceptable, he understood that deer hunting, for example, was critical to restoring balance in nature. Indeed, Jim loved the great outdoors and all its wildlife. And that love extended, of course, to his life at home.
When he was a boy, his favorite dog was a German Shepard named Timmy. Smart, rambunctious and his constant companion, the mere mention of his beloved Timmy brought tears to his eyes 80 years after his boyhood friend had passed.
In Jim’s latter years, a cat was better suited to his and Anita’s lifestyle. Her name was Mimi - a gift from their daughter Donna. A part of their lives for over a decade, Mimi was especially attached to Jim, but was wildly protective of them both. When visitors stopped by, Mimi terrified all who dared to enter her family’s space. But she was always gentle and affectionate to Jim and Anita.
Of course, there’s much more about Jim’s nearly 95 years, including his life before becoming a family man.
Having attended Manhattan Aviation (a high-tech high school of its day), Jim wanted to be an aviator. In fact, by the time he graduated, he was piloting planes from a small airfield on Staten Island. He could also disassemble planes and reconstruct them. Decades later, he could still explain the physics of flight and describe the cockpit’s instrument cluster. But because he graduated in 1945, Jim wanted to fly in the U.S. Marines.
But that was not to be.
Needing permission from his parents to join the Corps, he was soon on a troop train to boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. With the war in Europe over, and the war with Japan still raging, he was anxious to join his fellow Marines. But in August 1945, the war in the Pacific abruptly ended, and aviators were no longer needed.
Still, Jim’s service was interesting - if not safe and even fun. Eventually stationed in America’s new naval base in Bermuda, one day he was unexpectedly summoned to the base’s commanding officer. Having previously found himself there for running his underwear up a flagpole (details remain sketchy), he was certain that another dressing down was in the offing.
Instead, his reputation as a fisherman came to the fore.
The base commander informed Jim that a VIP would soon arrive at the naval base. He was coming for much-needed “R and R,” and Jim was to take him fishing. Those were his orders.
The next day, a motor yacht named “Sequoia” tied up in the naval yard. The VIP aboard was the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S Truman.
Jim Bonnanzio had a new fishing companion!
In later years, he would confide to one of his sons that he doesn’t remember voting for Mr. Truman, though he conceded that he was a great guy and, more importantly, was a pretty darn good fisherman. That was Jim’s ultimate compliment.
After the military, Jim pursued another passion: photography. Not just a hobby, he tried to capitalize on the unfolding post-war baby-boom having taken portraits of babies, children, and young families. That work was enjoyable, but it wasn’t particularly lucrative.
Through the years, there were other businesses that would support Jim’s family including a dry-cleaning store and a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store. Later, he would prove to be an adept car salesman, though it was always clear that if not for his honesty, he would have fared better financially.
To that end, Jim would tell stories of being dressed down by his various sales managers for not “upselling” accessories that the dealerships’ customers didn’t need. And worst of all, he even sent a customer (or two) to competitors’ dealerships because they sold cars that were better suited to their needs!
Yes, Jim Bonnanzio was always an honest man.
Again, these are mere brushstrokes of a life lived fully - though like most, not always easily. Jim lived his life by example, fortified by the power of faith, prayer, and love. Though decades had passed since his service, he remained true in all aspects of his life to the Marine Corps credo Semper Fidelis: Always Faithful.
For those of us who knew Jim Bonnanzio, he was a man who loved his church, he was a man who loved his country, a man who loved his classical music, a man who whistled to himself (and others!), and a man who sang show tunes that were forgotten 100 years ago. He was also a relentless reader of history, knew more about the Civil War than Abraham Lincoln, and was a keen observer of the world around him. He didn’t like technology (“who needs a cellphone?”), rock n’ roll (“You call that music?”), or any “new” movies. (“Hollywood hasn’t made a good flick since “Twelve O’clock High.”) For the record, that was released in 1949.
Regardless, no one could argue that Jim Bonnanzio wasn’t smart, informed, funny, kind and gentle. And though this point needn’t be repeated, he was a man who simply loved his wife Anita and their entire family.
Jim Bonnanzio was one-of-a kind - and the best kind at that.
Prologue: Jim Bonnanzio is survived by his wife of 68 years Anita, as well as his son Vincent and his wife Jane; Donna, and their brother John and his wife Sally. In addition, Jim was a devoted grandfather to Peter, James, and Annie; Madeleine, Sophie, Abigail, and Geoffrey; Alexandra, Michael and his wife Sarah, and his great-grandson Sam.
To view a Livestream of the Funeral Mass please click here https://icaparish.org/