Joseph H Bonura Jr.

Joseph Henry Bonura, Jr. the beloved husband of Rosemary Olivier Bonura, who passed away in 2006, are now reunited 'together forever' in blissful eternity. Joe was a remarkable 96 years old, having survived Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer at 39. He was born on September 18th, 1918. He passed away on May 22, 2015.

New Orleans was his home but after Katrina paid that fateful visit he and his wife of 67 years moved to Louisville to be near his son Joe's loving family. They moved into a beautiful Retirement Community where they made many new precious friends who have been so kind and caring for these past 10 years, especially after his treasured wife passed away. They left friends in the Nouveau Marc Retirement Community when they were flown to Louisville in a private plane after being rescued by caring friends from Kentucky in a rescue chopper and taken to a hospital in Gonzales from the rooftop of East Jefferson Hospital because of Katrina power outages in the medical building. They were brave and amazing during that period of terrible personal and widespread tragedy.

When Joe was a young man he enjoyed membership in the New Orleans Athletic Club (NOAC). His other hobbies were riding his red Indian Motorcycle with a fun riding club in the forties, tending animals he carefully gathered in the back yard of his family's home for many years right next door to the famous Rivoli Theater. He purchased a cow, goats, a pig, a lamb, horses, chickens and many feathered creatures he fed daily and the family had healthy organic food to enjoy! He also kenneled his cousin Zeke's (who played for the Chicago White Sox) beagles while he was on his baseball scouting tours.

He was also famous for his snow ball stand which he started with his friend Frank Pazos using the famous Ortolano SnoWizard Machine, and the syrups were beyond delicious. The snow ball stand later morphed into the B&L Restaurant and Bar which had he and Rosemary partnered with his sister-in-law and brother-in-law El and Dickson Lewellen. The Poor-Boys and daily lunches were a favorite eating place for the employees who came from the dozens of businesses on Bayou Road… a little City within a City... a charming eclectic place to give us roots and wings!

He worked as a butcher in a stall in the Lebreton Market on Bayou Road and Dorgenois with his father and they sold meat to discerning women shoppers who bought food daily, so many years ago. Of course he always included a wiener for 'lagniappe', a 'little extra' for their children. Later, he owned and operated AAwon Meat Company in Metairie and was famous for his custom Hot and Italian Sausages. He provided the meat for the Manuel family of Hot Tamale fame and played cards weekly for years with that friendly group including Mr. Manuel, the Tamale King of the City.

After retirement from the meat processing business, he worked for Milton Stire as a Chief Deputy and enjoyed his foray into the arena of civil law. Again, he made many wonderful friends along his life's journey.

He enjoyed family get-togethers and Rosemary was such an extraordinary hostess and both were wonderful chefs and those genes were passed onto several grandchildren in the immediate family. And to this day we can still enjoy the Bonura gumbo, the custard-style bread pudding delight, extraordinary potato salad, Joe's Chili with homemade tamales, and their red beans and rice were deliciously phenomenal. They actually had HIS and HERS kitchens and were featured on Frank Davis' "Naturally Nawlins" hit television show. Became stars overnight!

He had a green thumb and it came from TATA his Italian Grandfather from Contessa Entellina, and his were the most tender eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, red peppers, figs and the sweetest seedless Louisiana navel oranges one would ever savor. He had a bayleaf tree and several pear trees and a persimmon tree and he gardened well into his late seventies.

Rosemary and Joe lived on Bellaire Drive on the 17th Street Canal in Lakeview for 44 years, having moved to the Nouveau Marc retirement complex in Kenner, just six years before Katrina.

Joe is survived by his children Linda B. Cook and her husband Walter, Joseph Henry Bonura III and his wife Carol, Kay B. Bollinger and her husband Joe. Seven grandchildren: Connie Zimmermann Shah, Caryn Z. Baudean, Joe Bonura, Annie B. Yoho, Nick Bonura, Michael Bollinger and Kelly B. Dyar, twenty-two great grandchildren, as well as many nieces, nephews and in-laws.

Joe is preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Rosemary “RoRo” Olivier Bonura, his parents Anna Barbara Bahle Bonura and Joseph Henry Bonura Sr., brothers Henry Felix Bonura and John Melvin Bonura and his sisters-in-law Pam and Dolly.

Joe and his two brothers were very close in childhood and as adults. His grief was heartfelt when each of his brothers passed away, and he spoke of them often. Joe and his family and his brother’s wives and children every week enjoyed Sunday meals together.

Joe and Rosemary lived in New Orleans up until 2005 when Katrina forced them to evacuate. They lived their last days near their son and his family in Louisville, Ky.

Joe was very grateful to his friends and caring staff at the Eden Terrace retirement Apartments and the Horizon Bay assisted living center in Louisville, and his wife’s devoted caregivers at Nouveau Marc.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visitation at LAKE LAWN METAIRIE FUNERAL HOME, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. (in Metairie Cemetery) on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at 2:00 PM. Interment will follow at 4:00 PM in Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum. To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.