Obituary, Keith Bonham, 1939-2025

Monday 3rd February 2025

  

 

He leaves widow Gill, they married in 1964, son Grido who lives in the USA and daughter Tracy who lives in Scotland. We offer our heartfelt sympathy to them all for their loss of a loving husband and father, grandfather of six and great grandfather of one.

As a Rotarian, Keith worked incessantly to meet the obligation of ‘Service above Self’ taking on most of the club tasks including those of President and Treasurer. He was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship for his service to Rotary and a life-long commitment to supporting charities.

Among these he will be particularly remembered for his work with the St Peter’s Hospice, a Bristol charity that provides care and support to adults who are living with progressive life-limiting illness in the Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset area. He was a director of the organisation from 1996 to 2011 and he found many ways to raise money including completing 16 marathons, including the London marathon to mark his 70th birthday. Whilst in his 80s, in 2020 following Covid, he completed his 2.6 Challenge for the Hospice walking a grand total of 288,200 steps, taking 43 ¾ hours and covering 163 ¾ miles in 40 days to raise over £3,000 …….and he did it all again in 2021

Among his many interests was cycling and was regularly seen riding his bike around Bristol. Some years earlier he cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, again to raise mont for St Peter's charity.

Keith came to Bristol in 1962 as his future wife Gill was living here. On just his second day in the city, a colleague introduced him to the Clifton Rugby Club and he started playing in the second row, turning out for the club well into his 50s.

In 1967, he took on the voluntary role of club treasurer and has been doing it ever since – possibly the longest such tenure in the Bristol area.

Keith, who received an MBE for his services to community life and was also a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, lived in Stoke Bishop. He was a chartered accountant for nearly 40 years retiring as managing partner of the Bristol office of Ernst & Young.

He is listed as either present or past director of at least 12 companies, many of which are either sporting or supporting organisations.

Jill believes that there will be a private family cremation, probably in April, followed at later date by a service of celebration of Keith’s life.

 

Keith, your passing will be grieved by the many hundreds of people who knew you as a friend, and the thousands who never met you, but whose lives you improved so selflessly.

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