1931
Joyce
2008
Joyce Bonar
March 15, 1931 — March 15, 2008
Joyce E. Bonar, 77, of Kansas City, MO passed away peacefully March 14, 2008. She was born Joyce Ethel Harris on September 9, 1930 in Kansas City, MO, the fifth of six children of George William and Ethel Violet Harris. She grew up on the east side of Kansas City graduating from McCoy Elementary School and in the East High School Class of 1947. At East High she was a cheerleader and a member of Eulexia Literary Society. Following high school Joyce attended the Kansas City Business College where she honed the secretarial skills that served her well the rest of her life.
In October 1947, Joyce was introduced to Robert Kenneth Bonar, a nineteen year old sailor, by mutual friends and that began a relationship that lasted for sixty-one years. The two wrote daily letters for the two years remaining in Ken?s Navy enlistment and when he was discharged she helped him begin his studies at Rockhurst College.
In the winter of 1951, Ken was called to active duty with the U.S. Air Force and he and Joyce decided that they would be married before he reported for active duty. They were married at Independence Boulevard Christian Church on February 23, 1951 by the Reverend Will Sessions.
Ken reported for duty at Mitchell Air Force Base, New York, on July 3rd and Joyce joined him on July 13th. They spent the next year and one half in Hempstead and Freeport, on Long Island, and drew closer together since this was the first time Joyce had been away from home.
Ken loved the Air Force as a Crew Chief and Flight Engineer, flying up and down the east coast while Joyce went to work as the Secretary for the Selective Service Appeal Board in Hempstead.
In late February 1953, Ken was discharged from the Air Force and he and Joyce returned to Kansas City where they bought their first house at 91st and Main Street. The house was furnished with a lot of help from Ken?s mother and father and while Ken completed his College work at Rockhurst, Joyce worked and kept house. Their fondest hope was to begin a family, but in spite of all the assistance from the medical profession, nothing happened.
In early 1960, Joyce and Ken decided that they should adopt a child and set to work with the Jackson County Adoption Department. However, as often happens, a few months into the adoption process Joyce became pregnant, which put the adoption on hold. Joyce gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy on December 23, 1961, six weeks premature, Kenneth Carll Bonar died at 11:30 pm on December 25, 1961. To compound the grief, Ken?s mother died from failed surgery following a slight stroke on February 14, 1962.
Moving ahead with the adoption, in July of 1963, Joyce and Ken were notified that a little blonde girl was waiting for them at the Krittenden Home and they couldn?t get there fast enough to see her and hold her and arrange to take her home. After the required nine months probationary period, Susan Kathleen Bonar became an official member of the family, just in time to move into the house that Joyce and Ken had been building at 4407 East 108th Street.
On November 30, 1964, Joyce gave birth to a son, Jeffrey Christopher Bonar, also a premature baby but he suffered no ill effects. Now Joyce?s family was complete.
Next followed PreSchool, Elementary School, Junior and Senior High School with Joyce the perennial Room Mother and more often than not the President of the PTA Unit, for which she received a Life Membership in the Missouri PTA.
With her children out of school, Joyce determined to realize her life long ambition to obtain a College Degree of her own and she set about it in earnest. She began with the PACE Program at Longview Community and finished with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work, Summa Cum Laude, from Avila College. She went on to receive her Masters of Social Work from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Joyce was pleased and proud of what she had accomplished, as was her entire family.
Life moved on at an increasingly rapid pace, Susan completing her medical education, being married and giving Joyce the grandchildren she had longed for. Joyce was finally able to feel that she had all that she could ask for.
Joyce and Ken had many wonderful years together with Tours and Cruises until Alzheimers began to take its toll on Joyce. Life was near normal until early February of 2008 when her mind deteriorated to the point of no return.
Ken, Susan and Jeff determined that Joyce?s wishes would not be to be tied to life support but to be allowed to pass away peacefully and they chose Kansas City Hospice Center as the place for her final care.
Joyce was predeceased by her mother and father, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters. She is survived by cousins Marcia Roberts and Derrell Sweem and fifteen nephews and nieces.
In October 1947, Joyce was introduced to Robert Kenneth Bonar, a nineteen year old sailor, by mutual friends and that began a relationship that lasted for sixty-one years. The two wrote daily letters for the two years remaining in Ken?s Navy enlistment and when he was discharged she helped him begin his studies at Rockhurst College.
In the winter of 1951, Ken was called to active duty with the U.S. Air Force and he and Joyce decided that they would be married before he reported for active duty. They were married at Independence Boulevard Christian Church on February 23, 1951 by the Reverend Will Sessions.
Ken reported for duty at Mitchell Air Force Base, New York, on July 3rd and Joyce joined him on July 13th. They spent the next year and one half in Hempstead and Freeport, on Long Island, and drew closer together since this was the first time Joyce had been away from home.
Ken loved the Air Force as a Crew Chief and Flight Engineer, flying up and down the east coast while Joyce went to work as the Secretary for the Selective Service Appeal Board in Hempstead.
In late February 1953, Ken was discharged from the Air Force and he and Joyce returned to Kansas City where they bought their first house at 91st and Main Street. The house was furnished with a lot of help from Ken?s mother and father and while Ken completed his College work at Rockhurst, Joyce worked and kept house. Their fondest hope was to begin a family, but in spite of all the assistance from the medical profession, nothing happened.
In early 1960, Joyce and Ken decided that they should adopt a child and set to work with the Jackson County Adoption Department. However, as often happens, a few months into the adoption process Joyce became pregnant, which put the adoption on hold. Joyce gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy on December 23, 1961, six weeks premature, Kenneth Carll Bonar died at 11:30 pm on December 25, 1961. To compound the grief, Ken?s mother died from failed surgery following a slight stroke on February 14, 1962.
Moving ahead with the adoption, in July of 1963, Joyce and Ken were notified that a little blonde girl was waiting for them at the Krittenden Home and they couldn?t get there fast enough to see her and hold her and arrange to take her home. After the required nine months probationary period, Susan Kathleen Bonar became an official member of the family, just in time to move into the house that Joyce and Ken had been building at 4407 East 108th Street.
On November 30, 1964, Joyce gave birth to a son, Jeffrey Christopher Bonar, also a premature baby but he suffered no ill effects. Now Joyce?s family was complete.
Next followed PreSchool, Elementary School, Junior and Senior High School with Joyce the perennial Room Mother and more often than not the President of the PTA Unit, for which she received a Life Membership in the Missouri PTA.
With her children out of school, Joyce determined to realize her life long ambition to obtain a College Degree of her own and she set about it in earnest. She began with the PACE Program at Longview Community and finished with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work, Summa Cum Laude, from Avila College. She went on to receive her Masters of Social Work from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Joyce was pleased and proud of what she had accomplished, as was her entire family.
Life moved on at an increasingly rapid pace, Susan completing her medical education, being married and giving Joyce the grandchildren she had longed for. Joyce was finally able to feel that she had all that she could ask for.
Joyce and Ken had many wonderful years together with Tours and Cruises until Alzheimers began to take its toll on Joyce. Life was near normal until early February of 2008 when her mind deteriorated to the point of no return.
Ken, Susan and Jeff determined that Joyce?s wishes would not be to be tied to life support but to be allowed to pass away peacefully and they chose Kansas City Hospice Center as the place for her final care.
Joyce was predeceased by her mother and father, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters. She is survived by cousins Marcia Roberts and Derrell Sweem and fifteen nephews and nieces.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Joyce Bonar, please visit our flower store.