John Henry William Bonitz Jr.

1930 - 2017

JOHN HENRY WILLIAM BONITZ, JR. John Henry William Bonitz, Jr. of Hampstead, NC died peacefully on July 17, 2017. He was born on October 7, 1930 to the late John Henry William Bonitz and Daisy Lea Bonitz of Greensboro, NC. He is predeceased by his beloved sister, Lydia Lea (Buzzy) Bailey Hines, his step-daughter, Letisha Marie Faust, and grandson Killian Roe Mansfield. John Bonitz, or, as so many knew him, "Johnny B" did not enjoy obsolescence. He felt that intention should be respected. This was evident in the way he lived and conducted his primary avocations in life—theatre and building. Whether innovating lighting rigs using older theatrical equipment or being an early adopter of daylighting, green roof, and radiant heat for a model home he designed and built on the Intracoastal Waterway, Mr. Bonitz honored the intrinsic value of materials, space and ideas. John was smitten life-long with theatre, from his first role as the lead in a melodrama at The Hill School in Pottstown, PA to multiple roles in television and film even into his senior years. After doing a season of The Lost Colony with friend Andy Griffith, he went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was active with Carolina Playmakers and worked at the public television station. John's theatrical muse was his Aunt Gladys Lea, a New York City based singer and vocal teacher well known for her incorporation of the Alexander Technique. Stays with Gladys enabled study with Lee Strasburg, some Off Broadway roles and eventually a part in the touring company of No Time For Sergeants. John continued to do regional theatre even after he returned from the west coast to work for his father's roofing and insulation business in Greensboro. At the Bonitz Companies, John Jr. advanced the business with a pioneering insulating roof system that drew industrial clients. In addition to his careers in theatre and building, John was also impassioned in his amateur pursuits. He loved sports cars, and was active in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), serving for a time as Chair of the Virginia International Raceway in Danville, VA. John was an avid genealogist. He thrilled at immersing himself in the stories of distant relations, particularly those with familial ties to the Cape Fear region. His tribe grew as many personal relationships blossomed from initial research. Other hobbies included sculpting, with preferred mediums of plastics and welded brass; theatre lighting and scenic design, and gardening. Like his father, "Big John" Bonitz, Johnny B loved to tell a joke—sometimes even more if it elicited groans. Recently he said he wasn't afraid to die, but he just "didn't want to be there when it happened." For the most part, he was not. Mr. Bonitz is survived by his sweet dog, Hairy (Barkley) Barker; his loving and steadfast wife, Suzanne Robbins Bonitz; his son John Henry William Bonitz, III and wife Elizabeth Hicks Hummel Bonitz of Pittsboro, NC; his daughter Lea Peace of Portland, Oregon; his daughter Barbara Ann Mansfield and husband Philip Roe Mansfield of Phoenicia, NY; and grandchildren, John Henry William Bonitz, IV, Lucia Hummel Bonitz, and Calder Peace Mansfield. A service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July 22, 2017 in the chapel at First Presbyterian Church at 125 S. Third Street in Wilmington. A private internment will be held at a later date at Oakdale Cemetery. The family thanks the dear people at the Village Cafe;, the many caring neighbors in Hampstead, and the conscientious caregivers from Lower Cape Fear Hospice. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.andrewsmortuary.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pender County Humane Society, 1407 NC-53, Burgaw, NC 28425: http://www.penderhumane.org Andrews Hampstead Chapel