Mike D. was born in Lake Charles, LA, on December 21, 1934, and was a lifelong resident of the area. He attended McNeese State University and the University of Houston.
Mike was a man with a competitive spirit and a willingness to take risks. He loved racing cars and boats, golfing, and competing in fishing tournaments alongside his son, Mike J. His competitive nature carried him to many accomplishments throughout his life, including being named the Most Valuable Golfer at McNeese State University in 1956 and winning the first-ever B.A.S.S. Tournament held on Toledo Bend Lake in 1970, among many others.
A risk-taker by nature, Mike entered the real estate industry in 1965 after Chennault closed and the market was flooded with vacant homes. He saw opportunity where others saw uncertainty. He received his real estate broker’s license in 1970 and went on to establish several real estate and development companies, including Suburban Real Estate, Suburban Land and Development, Toledo Land and Development, and, in 1976, Century 21 Mike D. Bono & Co., the first Century 21 franchise in Louisiana, now known as Century 21 Bono Realty, which remains family-owned and operated.
His career extended far beyond his own businesses. Mike served as an ethics chairman for the Greater Calcasieu Board of Realtors, a real estate instructor and consultant, and a Veterans Administration appraiser for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also qualified as a real estate expert witness in courts across Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. In 2006, he was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Louisiana Real Estate Commission.
Mike’s willingness to take a chance continued into the Toledo Bend area, where he purchased “waterfront lots” before there was even water. He went on to develop many subdivisions around Toledo Bend, helping shape the area he loved so much.
To those who knew him best, Mike was more than a businessman, competitor, and risk-taker. He was a husband, father, grandfather, and mentor whose strength and determination helped shaped the people around him.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Mitchel Bono and Mary Elizabeth Blackwell Bono; his brother, Dr. Richard “Bud” Bono; and his son, Rick Bono.
He will be deeply loved and remembered by his wife, Marion Vallery Bono; his son, Mike J. Bono and his wife, Lisa; and his grandchildren, Cory, Anne Marie, and Emily.
His family will carry with them the lessons he taught them about perseverance, taking chances, the value of hard work, and standing strong for what they believe in.
Visitation will be held at Hixson Funeral Home on Friday, September 11, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. A Funeral Mass will follow at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church at 12:45 p.m., followed by burial at Consolata Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held at Century 21 Bono Realty, 4410 Nelson Rd. Lake Charles, LA 70605.
Active Pallbearers will be Tony Mancuso, Clint Hixson, Tony Cornner, Pete Pauley, Brian Kingsnorth, and Mark Vallery, and Honorary Pallbearers will be Charlie Roche, Tom Barrett, and Mark Scheutte.
