Ernest F. Bonjour

BONJOUR, Mr. Ernest F.
Kalamazoo, MI Died April 6, 2011, peacefully at home. Ernest was born April 27, 1919 on a farm in Chesaning, Michigan, the youngest of the four children of Maurice and Frances Sedlacek Bonjour. An honors student at Vernon High School and a member of the football and basketball teams, he moved to Kalamazoo in 1938 to attend Western Michigan University, becoming the first in his family to attend college. While working part-time in the library, he met his future wife, fellow student Margaret Cameron Ackley. He received his bachelors? degree from Western and did further study at Northwestern University and the U.S. Navy. Ernest served in U.S. Navy during World War II, seeing much action during nearly two years in the Pacific war theater as an officer aboard submarine USS Pintado SS-387, the flagship of a wolfpack. In the last months of the war, the Pintado was assigned to air-sea rescue duty. On August 6, 1945, Ernest was awarded the Silver Star by Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood for his role in rescuing the crew of a B-29 bomber, City of Galveston, who had been shot down following a bombing mission over Nagoya, Japan. He continued to serve in U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring in 1959 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. After the war, on September 15, 1945, Ernest and Margaret were married by Dr. Paul Heath at First Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo. Ernest was employed by the Upjohn Company for 34 years as an engineer. He received the Upjohn Award in 1970 and retired in 1980. Throughout his working career, Ernest was active in the community. He helped establish the first Little League in Portage, Michigan, designing and building baseball diamonds and then coaching. He officiated at high school football and basketball games and chaired the Portage Township Youth Recreation Programs. He and his sons were active in Boy Scouts, with his youngest, Jon, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Ernest was an admirer of the Frank Lloyd Wright style of architecture, and after taking a course at Wright?s Taliesin Center in Wisconsin, Ernest designed and built the family home at 7404 Oakland Drive in Portage modifying the Wright style to fit the 10 acre site and the needs of his family. The large lot included a "field of dreams" regulation baseball diamond, built by Ernest. He was an avid gardener, planting hundreds of trees on the family?s property, and tending numerous perennial and vegetable gardens over the years. His talents and hobbies extended to the basement workshop where during his retirement, he crafted furniture, wooden bowls, lamps and jewelry boxes. He was an active Presbyter since 1939, ushering for the First Presbyterian Church of Kalamazoo for over 30 years. He worked on annual pledge drives, taught Sunday school for Dr. Heath, and in 1993 helped start the Health Clinic. His beloved wife, Margaret, died in 2005, a few months before their 60th anniversary. He was also preceded in death by his three brothers, Eugene, Edward and Frederick. He is survived by sons, Paul a family physician in Windham Maine, Bruce an attorney in Chicago, Illinois and Jon a professional photographer in Thomaston, Maine; and their wives, respectively Louise, Jean and Gena. He is also survived by three grandchildren: Erin, Scott, and Lisa Bonjour, two sisters-in-law, Bonnie Ackley of Ann Arbor, Kate Bonjour of Chesaning, and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Monday, April 11 at 11:00 o'clock at the First Presbyterian Church, 321 South Street, Kalamazoo, MI with the Reverends Seth Weeldreyer, Wayne M. Conner, David McShane officiating. There will be no visitation. Ernest's cremated remains will be placed in the church columbarium. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be directed to the First Presbyterian Church or to a charity of choice. Arrangements by Langeland Family Funeral Home. www.langelands.com .