Cover photo for Griffin Eckle Bonham's Obituary
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Griffin Eckle Bonham

June 22, 1928 — March 1, 2016

Griffin Eckle Bonham

STAUNTON, VA… Griffin Eckle Bonham, 87, of Staunton, died peacefully on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at Brookdale - Staunton. He was born June 22, 1928, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the son of the late Wendell Winthrop Bonham and Florence Eckle Bonham and grew up on a farm in Keota, Oklahoma. He is also preceded in death by his sister, Betty Buford Palmer and grandson, Jonathan Bonham. Grif was a US Navy veteran and served during the Korean War where he was a sonarman on the USS Gurke.  He later attended OCS in Newport, RI, and served as an officer on the USS Northampton under Capt. Ephraim Holmes doing tours of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and Mediterranean. After his Naval service, he went to work for the US Dept. of Agriculture. Mr. Bonham was a graduate of Oklahoma State University, holding a degree in Animal Husbandry. He is survived by his wife, Betty Holmes Bonham, son, Wendell Bonham and his wife, Kris, of Charlottesville, and daughter, Nancy Bonham of Knoxville, TN; grandchildren Griffin Bonham and his wife, Hillary, of Nashville, TN, Kirsten Bonham and her fiancé, Andy Theobald, of Falls Church, VA, and Anna Bonham of Charlottesville. Grif was a unique person and brought joy to anyone who had the pleasure of meeting him.  He was a good father and lived out his faith in God through his witness and service to the church and to others.  He was rarely at a loss for words and could bring humor to almost any situation.  The stories of his antics over the course of his life will be carried down for generations.  He was loved by his caregivers at Brookdale to whom we owe our sincerest gratitude.  During his last year, Grif brightened up the Memory Care Unit joking around with his caregivers and other residents.  He could be counted on to offer up any number of songs from his broad repertoire depending on the situation.  We want to give special thanks to Andrea, Ashley, Deb, Ginny, Kathy, Kitty, Kris, Kristen, Meghan, Misty, Nikki, Sue, Teresa, and Whitney for all that they did in caring for him over the last year. A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on April 10, 2016 at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Staunton with the Rev. John C. Peterson officiating. There will be a reception in the breezeway following the service.  Memorial contributions may be made to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2001 N. Coalter Street, Staunton, VA 24401.
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