John L. "Bud" Bonham

John L. "Bud" Bonham, age 95, of Ft Walton Beach FL, peacefully passed away at home on October 17, 2025. Born into a military family in Bonham, Texas to William Arthur Bonham and Marye Magdalene Bonham, Bud spent his early years in Texas with his 5 siblings. After WWII, his father was posted to a variety of duties in the Caribbean and Japan, including Trinidad, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Yokohama. If you knew Bud, you know he retained a life-long curiosity and passion for travel and learning about other cultures, but most importantly, for getting to know the local people in each place he visited and lived, as well as learning the language. He and his brothers Art and Jim became career Air Force officers, with Bud becoming a pilot after graduating from West Point. His sisters Mary Evelyn and Billy Jo Ann were military wives. Retiring after domestic and European tours of duty, Bud and his wife Margaret settled in Fort Walton Beach. Bud's second career at United Lighting and Supply capitalized on both his engineering degree and love of interacting with people. Bud was a man of many talents, including woodworking, photography, stained glass, wine making, and most recently, crafting and selling fish sculptures around the Gulf Coast. He and Margaret traveled all over Europe and the Americas, including annual trips to Hawaii, and enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, conversing in Spanish, eating Thai food daily, and listening to Johnny Cash, all kinds of Hispanic music, and Texas Swing. Perhaps Bud's most endearing trait was he loved to tell jokes. As he turned 95, his favorite joke was to tell a visitor that he had great news for them-he wasn't pregnant! Bud built a close-knit, extended family and community of friends and caregivers, all of whom eased his last days and joyfully celebrate his passing to the next life.

He is predeceased by his parents, his brother Art, his sisters Juanda and Mary Evelyn, and his daughter Laurie. His wife Margaret, his children Caren (Rob) Nester, Carl (Paula) Bonham, Janice (Ricky) Bonham West, and son-in-law Verne Jacoby, as well as grandchildren Rebecca Jann Lee, Rebecca Bonham (Karthik) West, Elizabeth (Jeremy) Catalena, Matthew Nester, Sarah (Willie) Bonham, Eric (Alyssa) West, and Jay Nester, and 8 great-grandchildren survive him.

11 am graveside services will be provided by Emerald Coast Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 22 at Beal Memorial Cemetery, with reception to follow at the Bonham home. Donations may be sent to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.