John Robert Bonnemort, our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend, passed away at home with his wife and family at his side on March 12, 2019 after a courageous twelve year battle with prostate cancer. He will be dearly missed.
Born November 1, 1943 in Salt Lake City, Utah to John Howard and Alice Sowby Bonnemort, Bob was raised with his sister, Elizabeth, in his beloved Kaysville, Utah. He attended local Kaysville schools, graduating from Davis High School. While at the University of Utah, he earned a BA in Economics and was a member of the Army ROTC, commissioned as a First Lieutenant at graduation.
One of the great joys in his life was his membership in the Sigma Chi Fraternity, where he made many lifelong friends whom he admired and loved. These wonderful friendships blessed his life.
Bob served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the French Mission from 1963-1965. He loved the people of France and made lasting friendships which have remained to this day.
He married his best friend and love of his life, Janene Poulson, on March 14, 1968 in the Salt Lake Temple. They were married for 51 years. Shortly after marriage they moved to Hanover, New Hampshire where Bob attended the Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, earning his MBA. After graduation he worked for American Standard in New York City, New York. During the Vietnam War, he began his military service at the Pentagon, working at the USA Personnel Information Systems Command. Following his military service, he took a job with the First National Bank of Chicago where he began his successful career in equipment leasing. Bob accepted a position in Utah to open Argus Leasing at Zion's Bank and he and Janene moved their family to Salt Lake City, Utah. Years later, he and several partners were instrumental in building many local businesses, including Terra Industries, Matrix Funding Corporation, Unicapital, and Applied Financial. He appreciated and cherished the many good friendships that came from these endeavors. All of his business dealings were conducted with honesty, integrity and of course, good humor. He served on various boards in the community and worked tirelessly to improve others' lives.
As a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Bob was active in serving throughout his life. He served in various capacities in his wards and stakes, including Bishoprics, High Councils, Scoutmaster, and with Janene as the Mission President of the Arkansas Little Rock Mission from 2002 - 2005. His decision early in life to serve the Lord was what shaped many of his lifelong choices.
Bob was a faithful husband, dedicated father, and loving grandfather. He prided himself on always taking care of his family and loved spending time with them. He was blessed with a great sense of humor and an unconditional love of people. Bob made friends wherever he went and truly cared about each person in his life. He had many interests and hobbies, including running, skiing, fly fishing, golfing and a great love for cars ‚ the faster, the better. He was an excellent wood worker and made furniture for our homes. He loved to travel and enjoyed his time spent with Janene and family and friends at various vacation spots. We will be forever in awe of how he faced his cancer challenge with determination, courage, and unwavering faith. He never complained and always reflected on the great blessings he had received in his life.
Bob is survived by his wife, Janene, and his six children: Ann (Spencer) Hoole, John (Kirsten), Kathryn (Richard) Raddon, Karen (Michael) Akerlow, Stanford, and David (Amy) and 19 grandchildren; sister, Elizabeth (Joseph) Gosende; brother-in-law, Daniel (Marie) Poulson, and many nieces and nephews. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to his doctors ‚ Dr. Scott Samuelson, Dr. John Thompson, Dr. Grant Hunter, and Dr. Daniel Poulson and their caring staffs. Thank you to the nurses and staff of Bristol Hospice and his wonderfully compassionate nurses and caregivers ‚ Emily, Deb, Kimberly, and Christina.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 23 at noon at the Arlington Hills Ward building, 1300 East Fairfax Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah. Friends are invited to visit with the family at Larkin Sunset Lawn Mortuary 2350 East 1300 South on Friday, March 22 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturday morning at the ward building beginning at 10:00am prior to the service. Interment will be at Salt Lake City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the General Missionary Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
