Lucille I. Bongle-Cocconi

1921 - 2015

Bongle-Cocconi , Lucille I.

Lucille Ida Bongle-Cocconi, who lived a life of honor, hard-work, humility, and appreciation for those she loved; died of natural causes on October 20, 2015, at age 94, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She was born in Sturgeon Bay (then Sawyer) on March 7, 1921 to John Bongle and Stella Eichinger-Bongle.

Never content to be a homebody, Lucille graduated from nursing school in Milwaukee in 1943, and promptly enlisted in the army for service in WWII. Like many American women of the time, she was an unsung hero having served in a surgical capacity, near the frontlines in New Guinea. She helped to save lives and witnessed the tragic loss of others. Her unit was awarded the Silver Star for valorous service during bombardments. After her honorable discharge in 1946, her first job as an RN, in San Mateo California, landed her in the path of the man she would marry in 1947 (John Cocconi); with whom she produced 2 children: Stephen and Susan. After 15 years the marriage ended, but they reconciled as friends before his death in 1983.

The following 30 years she would work in Wisconsin, Florida, and then landed again in California. Being a single woman did not stop her from traversing the country several times on her own. Her occupation, in demand everywhere, afforded her the options of living in various places and climates for varied periods. She loved to travel, sew, knit, paint, cards, and write an occasional poem. In 1985, she took up residence in Woodland, CA, and retired there in 1990. It was a community she enjoyed and felt at home in for almost 20 years. During that time, she toured Scotland and England with her daughter Susan; an event she would cite as one of the highpoints of her life.

In 2004, she moved back to her native Wisconsin to share an apartment with Susan. Once back in her home state she was able to reconnect with childhood friends and her contemporaries of Sturgeon Bay High School. 2006 brought about the need for Lucille to have greater care. It brought her to San Luis Rehabilitation Center in Green Bay, (now Maple Ridge) where she had been a resident until the end. The staff was always regaling her praises with stories of her terrific sense of humor. A much needed breath of relief for them, who performed in such a demanding environment. A recent of example of that wit, was a zinger of a response to the husband of her niece Cheri's Bongle-Larson, Ric. The two of them often played a gleeful game, feigning a gigolo relationship. He would entertain his "Bubbles", with the two engaging in laughter, banter, and teasing. On one occasion, while Lucille was recalling a memory of the war, she impishly titled her head toward Ric and said: "by the way, the war…I didn't start it." Even at 94, she was capable of some sharp retorts which kept staff and family chucking, and on their toes!

She is survived and celebrated by her son Stephen 58 of Groveland, CA; and daughter Susan 57 of Angel's Camp, CA. She will also be missed by her "second children" - her niece Cheri, and her nephew William Bongle, retired Captain of the Green Bay Police Department, both of Suamico, WI. Their father Leonard was Lucille's older brother who died in 1989.

Friends and relatives may call at the NEWCOMER FUNERAL HOME, (340 S. Monroe Avenue, Green Bay) on Sunday, October 25, 2015 from 1 to 3 PM. Military honors will conclude the visitation at 3 PM. For more information, or to leave an on-line condolence for the family, please visit www.NewcomerGreenBay.com or call (920) 432-4841. She will be inurned at Bayside Cemetery in Sturgeon Bay next to her parents.