Mr. Nicholas “Nick” Bonnel, of Irving, TX, died on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, at the age of 84.
Nick was born on August 19, 1932, to John & Nell Bonnel in Monrovia, KS. He was the youngest of 3 sons.
In 1950, Nick joined the US Navy, where he served in the Pacific Fleet on the USS Sandoval during the Korean War. He was in the Navy from 1951 to 1955.
When he was discharged from the Navy, he and a friend decided to move from Kansas to San Diego, CA. Not long after moving there, he was hired by Solar Turbines and he remained employed there until he retired in 1988. Being such a people person, he was an obvious choice to be on the Solar management team.
In 1972, he married the love of his life, Fernelda “Fern” Leonard. They were perfect together. He was very laid back and easy going and she was a firecracker and the life of the party.
They were in a camping club for decades, where the same group of friends would go camping for the weekend or travel around the country and even down into Mexico in their RV’s.
After retiring, the couple moved to Tremepleau, WI and they would “snowbird” to Yuma, AZ. Several years later they made the choice to move to Irving, TX to be closer to their children.
Friends describe Nick as the type of man that would “give you the shirt off his back.” He was a quiet man but knew how to have fun. He loved playing cards, cribbage, and pool, being with friends & family, and enjoying a cold beer. When people think of him, they will likely picture him with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth and chewing on a piece of Doublemint gum, he was rarely without either.
Nick is survived by his daughter, Nikki Sessler; stepson, Robert Sarff; stepson, Alan Craig; stepdaughter, Shirley Craig; stepson, Dennis Cartwright; stepdaughter, Katina Denison; foster daughter, Jean Hoover; stepson, John Leonard, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife, Fern; and his two brothers, Bob Bonnel & John Bonnel.
A Committal Service with Navy Military Honors will be held at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, on Friday, January 20, 2017, at 3:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice or play a game of cribbage with a loved one in honor of Nick.
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