Joseph Anthony Bonafede

Joseph (“Joe”) Anthony Bonafede of Annandale, VA went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on August 27, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Joe was predeceased by his son, Caleb Anthony, and mother, Rosalie. He is survived by his beloved wife Margery, daughters Carolyn and Sarah, father John S., siblings John G., Jeanne, Gregory, and Michael, and many extended family members and close friends.

Joe was born in Rochester, NY, the third child of Rosalie and John S. Bonafede. Joe attended Gates Chili High School, graduating as valedictorian of his class in 1982. He attended Cornell University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1986 with a focus on Civil Engineering. After college, Joe served as an active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of Captain in 1993. Joe also received a Masters of Science in Astronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1989. He later performed Ph.D. research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

As a young man, Joe was a stellar student with an adventurous spirit and curious mind. Joe excelled at numerous sports, including cross country running, track and field, football, swimming, skiing, golf, and tennis. He loved to travel and was an avid outdoorsman who greatly enjoyed hiking, biking, camping, and long walks – and was known to get lost in the woods from time-to-time! No matter where he was or who he was with, Joe sought the knowledge, adventure, and experience that made for a full and purpose-driven life in service to his family, his friends, his community, and the Lord.

While working on his Ph.D. at MIT, he met his beloved wife Margery, who was also studying for her graduate degree at MIT. After a successful surprise engagement trip to Paris, they were married in 2000 in Arlington, Virginia.

Joe and Margery were blessed with their first daughter, Carolyn, in 2003, and moved from Massachusetts to Virginia, where Joe started his professional career at ARES as an engineer contractor for various government agencies. Their second child, Caleb, was born in 2004 with significant health issues that kept him in the hospital for his seven months of life. Throughout this time, Joe was the strong leader in the home that kept the family together and walking with the Lord. Joe worked days and spent most nights in the hospital with his son. He never gave up hope and advocated relentlessly for his baby to receive the best care. Sarah, their second daughter, was born in 2010, and Joe moved employment to SGT (now KBR) shortly thereafter.

Joe loved his girls (all three of them!). It’s impossible to explain how amazing a dad and husband he has been. From narrating pretend “trips to the moon” and involving the girls in his home improvement projects, to taking them to dances and giving them advice on relationships and careers, he has been everything the girls could want and need in their Daddy. And he has always been the most faithful, dependable, encouraging, loving, and fun husband to Margery. His family will always cherish the memories they made together both in daily life and during their many vacations and adventures.

Joe enjoyed working as an engineer and avoided becoming a manager because he thrived on solving the actual engineering questions. One of his most exciting projects was working on the thermal elements of an instrument on the Parker Solar Probe, which he proudly watched launch from Florida with his family.

Joe’s faith in Jesus was strong, and he lived by it. He taught Sunday School along with Margery, spending about 7 years in preschool before graduating to kindergarten for about 3 years, and he most recently made it to 5th/6th grade. He excelled at bringing Bible stories to life for the children to understand, and loved connecting with the kids as they sat doing crafts and discussing their lives and the day’s lesson.

When Joe learned of his cancer diagnosis, he calmly said to Margery, “Ok, I can do this. I know where I’m going. I just know it’s going to be hardest on you girls.” He bravely fought the disease as long as he could until his heart could not keep up. And then he peacefully entered God’s glory, giving us sweet glimpses of the heaven he was seeing. We look forward someday to sharing the “resurrection water” he was drinking and enjoying whatever he described as “so much more beautiful” than he had expected. He was comforted knowing that his girls are surrounded by so many loving and supportive friends and family members.

“... the time of my departure has come.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6-7