Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend returned to his heavenly home May 9, 2024, surrounded by his loving wife and four children after a courageous ten-year battle with Leukemia. Brad L. Bona Sr. "Grampy" (66), was born August 12, 1957, in Murray, Utah to Ardene and Beverley Bona. The fourth of eight children, Brad was well loved and admired by all his siblings. He was an obedient and kind brother, quietly serving or teasing others. You could count on him and his big brother Dean to be together, creating inside jokes and still laughing at them to this day.
Growing up, Brad enjoyed playing football, baseball, bowling, and golf. Since he came from a big family, there wasn't much money to spend on nice things. He cherished the creative and well-thought-out gifts his parents made for him. He loved his parents and often spoke of what great parents they were. His dad owned and operated a sign shop (Bona Banners) in their backyard. Brad spent much time in this shop helping his dad paint signs for grocery stores and other events. He developed his beautiful penmanship from his time in that shop.
He attended school at Academy Park, Kennedy Jr. High, and graduated from Kearns High School, where his favorite class was TV Productions.
Brad had a deep love for the Lord and a desire to share that love with others. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nashville, Tennessee. There he came to love the people, develop a love for country music, and learned how to make the best hush puppies, which he made every New Year's Day, served with a side of black-eyed peas for good luck!
After returning home from his mission he attended Young Adults where he met his sweetheart Debra Louise Peterson. After a lengthy courtship of two weeks, he proposed to her and they were sealed shortly after on September 27, 1979, in the Salt Lake Temple. They have been inseparable ever since. They soon welcomed four children to their family; Brad Jr., Tiffany, Joseph (Joey), and Michelle. He was most proud of his family. He cherished every moment he had with them and made special efforts to make sure he had quality time with them.
Anyone who knew Brad appreciated his sense of humor. His quick wit, awkwardly timed jokes, and funny faces were sure to lighten the mood and make others chuckle. If you were lucky enough you would get to hear his random opera voice or clever lyrical adjustments to songs.
Brad was sensitive, kind, and soft-spoken. He had a gift to make everyone feel welcome and worthy of Christ-like love. Not being a man of many words, he often expressed his feelings in beautiful poems that he wrote.
He was a man of integrity who led by example in all that he did. He served faithfully in many callings in the Church including: the Stake Young Men, the High Council, and as a loving and kind bishop. His calm nature and ability to listen helped others feel the love of the Savior.
He worked hard to provide for his family, at one point working two jobs for many years. He happily sacrificed to make his family happy. He worked at Costco Wholesale for over 30 years. He stepped down from a store manager position to better serve the Lord. He then became the inventory auditor where his skills with numbers, organization, and leadership were admired by many. He was well respected and loved for his kind nature and vast knowledge of the inner workings of Costco.
On his 57th birthday he was diagnosed with Leukemia (ALL) and started inpatient treatments right away. From the beginning his faith was unwavering. The uncertainty and difficulty of this disease never quenched his spirit. He was described by the doctors and nurses as being stoic. He often underwent treatments with minimal pain management. He never once complained or felt sorry for himself. Even on his hardest days and down to his last, his motto was still life is "Just Marvelous."
When it came to finding a donor for his stem cell transplant each of his siblings didn't hesitate to be tested for a match. Ultimately, his sister, Marie was a 100% match. With no reservations, she agreed to undergo the procedure to donate her stem cells. We are eternally grateful for Marie's willingness to donate. It gave us many more precious years with Brad. He was able to be here for the birth of each of his grandchildren. He is now enjoying lost time with some of those precious grandchildren in heaven.
Brad had a knack for remembering details such as names, dates, and stories about people. Whether he knew you well or not it's likely he remembered a detail about you that he could recall the next time he saw you. This gift contributed to the tremendous work he did in Family History. We are sure as he passed through the veil he was greeted by a very long line of grateful ancestors.
His deep love for his "Darlink" Debbie and family gave him the patience to give all he had to the fight. He fought every day for almost ten years and through four relapses with not one complaint. His incredible nurse and sweetheart Debbie, diligently and meticulously cared for his every need. Their eternal bond grew deeper and deeper each day as they endured this trial together. We are so grateful for the Plan of Happiness that will make their anticipated reunion sweeter.
We have immense gratitude for the doctors and medical personnel, especially Dr. Julie Asch who so graciously cared for Brad and helped him through his cancer journey.
Survived by wife Debra, children Brad L. Jr. (Amanda), Tiffany, Joey (Natalie), Michelle (Wes), 11 grandchildren: Hayden, Amy, Ethan, Katelyn, Liam, Caleb, Charlotte, Ava, Hattie, Nora, and Livi, and step-mother Sharon.
Preceded in death by his parents Ardene and Beverley Bona, father- and mother-in-law Charles Joseph and Charlene Peterson, nephew David Bona, granddaughter Hazel, and other loved ones.
A viewing will be held Thursday, May 16, 2024, at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, Utah from 6:00-8:00 PM.
Funeral services will be held Friday, May 17, 2024, at the Westbrook Stake Center, 4113 West 6200 South, West Jordan, Utah at 11:00 AM, following a viewing held from 10:00-10:45 AM.
Those wishing to view the service remotely may do so at the following link: https://zoom.us/j/98347521349
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Brad Bona Sr., please visit our flower store.
