Ray Conrad Bonney

Houston – Texas

Ray Conrad Bonney, 74 years of age, passed away Monday, December 21, 2015 at Houston Methodist West Hospital of complications due to lung cancer. Born in Corvallis, Benton County, Oregon on September 6, 1941, he was the son of the late Ray Melrose and Thelma Mafelda (Anderson) Bonney.

Ray, as an Army combat engineer, was a veteran of the Vietnam War, where he and his team supported the 5th Special Forces Group. He also served in Germany and Korea. Among his military awards, Ray earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, two Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation, Humanitarian Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/Palm.

Upon his retirement as a Major in the US Army, Ray and his family relocated to Texas and he had been a resident of the Houston area since 1987, working for KBR for more than 25 years. He was active in the VFW, most recently serving as Judge Advocate for VFW Post 9182 Katy, Texas; and was also a member of the Special Forces Association, Chapter 39. Additionally, Ray volunteered in the local community, earning recognition as 2015 First-year mentor of the year in Katy ISD for his work at Bear Creek Elementary.

On August 8, 1964, Ray married Anita Louise nee Coop, who survives him. Additional survivors include his brother Dennis Wike Bonney (Hood River, OR), sister Susan Merle Bonney (Eugene, OR), brother Brian Lea Bonney (Corvallis, OR), and children Angela Lynn (partner Katherine Trauth) Bonney and Timothy Robert Bonney, of Houston, TX.

Visitation will be Tuesday, December 29, from 5:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. at the Brookside Cypress-Creek Funeral Home, 9149 Highway 6 North, Houston, TX 77095. He will be interned in the Houston National Cemetery at 12:30 P.M. on Wednesday, December 30, with full military honors.

The family requests donations in lieu of flowers. Preferences are either the Fisher House Foundation, which provides free or low cost lodging to veterans and military families receiving treatment at military medical centers, www.fisherhouse.org or the United Service Organizations (USO), www.uso.org.