William E. "Willie" Bonaudi

William Edward Bonaudi Today my daddy said goodbye. I had known Willie Bonaudi (William E. Bonaudi, Pop, Daddy) all my life. He arrived in Sheridan, WY in 1917, some four years after the birth of his brother Chuck. His mother arrived in this country from Torino, Italy and somehow found her way out west as a cook for coal mining camps. How they settled in Cle Elum is still much a mystery, but good luck anyway as this was where he met and married my mom Dorothy. Pop had such pride and love for his family and was so very generous. I can’t imagine growing up without knowing you were loved. My baby sister Judy and I sure received constant support and affection. We lost my mom and Judy 10 and 30 years ago respectively, so my family and I were the focus of all that support and love he had to give. Pop loved the outdoors and made a friend of almost everyone he met. He probably helped more folks catch their first fish than anyone. He loved pheasant hunting in Moses Lake on his sister-in-law Beverly McDonald’s farm. He really enjoyed visiting with his nine great grandchildren, watching them and their parents grow and develop. Special to him was his chance to pin his granddaughter Kris at her nursing graduation from Big Bend. He vividly remembered attending Nevada Wolfpack football with his grandson Matt and watching grandson Mark play football in the cold Nevada fall. He established a scholarship in Dorothy’s name with the Big Bend Community College Foundation to support art students, a passion of my mother. Most recently, probably due to Kris’s graduation as a nurse, he focused the scholarship as a family scholarship in support of nursing students. Those of us who are left with the very best, most precious memories are myself William C. Bonaudi of Moses Lake, granddaughter Kristina Hendrickson of Moses Lake, grandson Matthew W. Bonaudi of Gambier, Ohio, grandson 1st Lt. Mark R. Bonaudi of Lacey, WA, sister-in-law Beverly McDonald of Othello, eight great-granddaughters and one great-grandson. Remembrances can be made in his name to the Big Bend Community College Foundation. A memorial service will be held at the Masto Conference Center on the campus of Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 26, 2011.

William E. "Willie" Bonaudi

April 1, 1917 - August 15, 2011