Obituary of Henry Daniel Bonamico, Jr.

Henry Daniel Bonamico, Jr., a longtime resident of Morris Township, died peacefully on Friday, July 23, 2021, at Chatham Hills Subacute Center. He was 78.

Dan was born in Long Branch on July 2, 1943, to the late Henry Daniel and Louise H. Bonamico.  He was a bright and intelligent man that excelled greatly in school.  Raised in Red Bank, he graduated with scholarship award recognition from Red Bank High School in 1961 and entered a five-year engineering program at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.  As the Vietnam war raged, the US Army wasted no time in drafting him in June 1965 as soon as he completed his fourth year.  Although successfully contesting the early induction, he accepted the U.S. Army’s offer to send him to engineer officer candidate school with the promise to pay for his final year of education.   Instead of returning him to Cornell, the Army sent him to the University of Nebraska, where he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of General Studies in Economics.  

A true patriot who loved his country deeply, Dan served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for eight years from August 1965 to his honorable discharge in August 1973.   As a company commander in the 15^th Engineer Battalion of the 9^th Infantry Division, he operated in advance of the troops and was instrumental in keeping the roads open in the Vietnam Delta, defending the Bien Qua Airbase and protecting Saigon despite heavy attack during the 1968 Tet offensive.  Dan attained the rank of Captain earning many medals, including the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, Aircraft Crewman Badge, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, two Vietnam Service Medals & the National Defense Medal.

Upon returning to civilian life, Dan’s quick mind, original thinking, and wide-ranging interests led him to embark successfully on many careers: real estate developer in Maryland; stockbroker with Dean Witter & Company in California; back to New Jersey as a restauranteur, owning and operating the Rusty Pelican Restaurant in the Atlantic Highlands; manager of a Charles Schwab branch office in Red Bank; working for a bond fund investment company while running a restaurant in SOHO; bank financial auditor with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.  Finally, at the end of his many careers, he became a vice president of credit for Fleet Bank before retiring early due to a back injury.

 In retirement, he pursued a passion for hunting and helped raise and race quarter horses.   Most of all he saw every game of the Boston Red Sox, having become an avid fan as a small boy who saw Ted Williams hit a home run.  Foremost amongst his many hobbies and interests was his love of technology.  He was building his own personal computers in the late 1980’s and always had to have the latest in electronics.  It was jokingly said in Dan’s family that he was the first Amazon & Apple customer. He was very mathematically minded and always enjoyed calculating the probability of winning the NJ lottery and statistically maximizing the payoff or winning at Blackjack.   

From childhood, Dan loved all things historical and immersed himself in the military strategies of the American Civil War and World War II.  He would drop everything to travel anywhere, but particularly enjoyed going back to the roots of his family in Italy.   Dan was a gourmet cook and enjoyed a good glass of wine in lively conversation with his family and friends around the table.   He loved the classics from western movies to music and was an enraptured listener of Tchaikovsky, as well as the Beach Boys and Broadway musicals.  

Dan was an incredible husband and father, who loved his family dearly. He married his beloved wife, Jeanette Gioia in 1990 and settled in Morris Township where they raised their family.

To say Dan lived life to the fullest is an understatement. Throughout his many lives he treasured family above all and was happiest when he could help them in any manner.  He will be deeply missed.  There will for sure be less color in the conversation round the family dining table.

In addition to his parents, Dan is predeceased by his son, John Bonamico in 2006; and his grandson Matthew Bonamico. He is survived by his beloved wife of 31 years, Jeanette Gioia; three sons from a first marriage, Robert Bonamico, Christopher Bonamico & Michael Bonamico and his wife, Tanya; two daughters, Caroline Bonamico and her husband, Dylan Smith & Alixandra Bonamico; three cherished grandchildren, Andrew, Samantha & Nicholas.

 Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a visitation from 4:00PM to 8:00PM on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, held at the Madison Memorial Home, 159 Main Street, Madison. A Liturgy of Christian Burial celebrated on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, at 10:30AM at St. Anthony of Padua RC Church, 121 Bridge Avenue, Red Bank, NJ. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Red Bank.

In lieu of flowers, please make charitable contributions in Dan’s memory to the Gary Sinise Foundation, PO Box 368, Woodland Hills, CA 91365 or the Alzheimer's Association 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601.