Frank
Bonniwell passed away peacefully on 08-28-2022 at his home in Austin, Texas, at
the age of 84.
His wife of 26 years, Claudia Sue, was at his side, as always. She was the
spark plug that kept him going.
This is truly the story of a good and reverent American, military man and
person, who believed in the progress of mankind...but it had to be earned and
displayed in daily endeavors for the common good.
Frank was a responsible family man, a professional Regular military officer, a
detailed senior draftsman in architectural/civil engineering, and a gifted and
talented IRS examiner/technician and work leader, who particularly embraced the
game of baseball. He was a meticulous, analytical, thorough, dedicated, loyal,
and always professional individual, who was always devoted to honor, duty,
country, service, and integrity to his careers, to others, and to his beloved
wife, Claudia. He always tried to guide, teach, and support his greater family
in any endeavor.
He was born in Brooklyn, NY, in November 1937, the only child of Frank E and
Lillian E Little Bonniwell. His Father grew up on Bay Shore, Long Island, where
he and Brother Charles and also, Brothers Harry and Richard, raced soap-box
derby cars against Colonel Charles Lindbergh, of Spirit-of-St. Louis fame, and
Charles L Lawrance, of the Wright Aeronautical Corporation, who designed/built the
planes' engine.
He attended West University Elementary, John J Pershing Junior High
(1950-1953), and Mirabeau B Lamar High School (1953-1956), the premier high
school in Houston. Frank moved on to the University of Houston (UH) in 1956,
where he earned his Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in
August of 1961
His career included duties and responsibilities beginning with Maintenance
Analysis Records and Reports Officer at the 5th Tactical Control Group, Clark
Air Base, Philippines, Pacific Air Force (PACAF), in January 1963. He performed
two short tours in Vietnam (RVN) at Tan Son Nhut AB (north of Saigon), Pleiku,
Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Bon Me Thout, and in Thailand at Don Moung (north of
Bangkok), Ubon, Udorn, and Nakhon Phanom, in late 1963 and in 1964. finding and
reducing lost (missing) airborne and ground-to-air communication/radar/air
traffic control equipment from ten to less than one percent.
While in the Philippines, Frank met Elizabeth (Liz) Betty Fernandez, a
Philippine University secretary in Manila in August 1963 on a blind date. They
married in a church wedding in April 1964 in Manila. They later divorced in
January 1993 after raising four children, daughters Suzanne and Stephanie, and
sons Frank and Brian.
In 1967, Frank was awarded an exchange tour with the Navy, as
Communications/Traffic Officer, US Naval Communications Station (NCS), Guam,
reporting solely to the station commander, Navy Captain Charles E Delaney. In
1976, he graduated from the Line Missileman Minuteman II (now MM III) Launch
Officers' school at Vandenberg AFB, California, with a perfect 5.0
qualification rating, becoming the 21st officer to accomplish this feat. He
then proceeded to the 564th Strategic Missile Squadron (Deactivated 2008),
341st Strategic Missile Wing (Strategic Air Command (SAC)), Malmstrom Air Force
Base, Montana. Frank completed Air Command and Staff College for Officers by
correspondence in 1976. Performing 69 tours "in the hole", he
advanced from Line Missile Launch Officer, to Assistant Flight Commander, to
Flight Commander Senior Crew, all of Quebec (and Sierra) Flights, then to
Squadron Operations Officer, and lastly as Wing Scheduling Officer for all 130
2-man missile launch crews, 341st Strategic Missile Wing (Strategic Air
Command) at Great Falls, Montana. Transferred to Headquarters, 12th Air Force,
Tactical Air Command (TAC), Bergstrom AFB, Texas, in 1980, he became a Command
Communications Officer in 12th AF Operations. There he also performed as
Assistant Chief of Command and Control of Communications Countermeasures and
aided significantly in developing Joint Interoperability of Tactical Command &
Control Systems supporting the Joint Test Force and Joint Communications
Support Element, US Readiness Command, in four operational field exercises from
1980 to 1983. Frank retired the end of May 1983, having received his third
Meritorious Service Medal with Tactical Air Command.
Frank was amongst a lineage, now over 100 greater family members serving in the
Air Force, Navy, and Army, from wars in Britain and France, the American Civil
War, the 1898 Spanish American War, through WWI, WWII, the Korean and Vietnam
Wars, and the Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan Wars, plus a British Navy Commodore
(great grand uncle), who was serving in the British Navy in 1865. The record of
other family members serving in the military goes back to at least the year
1000 in England, France, Norway, and beyond,. Frank is among the latest number
of other descendants serving in wars, at least back to the year 1000.
He turned to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1987, progressing from an
entry level processing tax examiner for the Form 1040-Series to the position of
Work Leader of the Form 1040X (overseeing 20-25 personnel), of the Amended
Return Section in 1994, at the IRS Austin Service Center, Austin, TX.
In March 1996, Frank married Claudia Sue Eichblatt Blackwell McDonald.
Survivors are his wife, Claudia Sue; two daughters Suzanne and Stephanie of
Austin; his son Frank Felipe and wife Maryse of San Diego, CA; and son Brian of
Austin; step-daughter Cathy and husband Jessie Molina of Austin, TX; step-son
Mike and wife Millie Blackwell of St Augustin, FL; and nine beloved
grandchildren, John and Patrick Molina, Leilanie and Marie Blackwell, Jordan
Paige Smith, Natalie and Caleb Camarillo, and Mia and Madeleine Bonniwell, and
one great grandson David Molina.
Frank will be interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, in San Antonio,
Texas.
In lieu of flowers, Frank requested that any donations in his memory be made to
the Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion Dept of Texas, Disabled
American Veterans, and Paralyzed American Veterans. They are the lifeblood of
our country's military history. Goodbye and God speed to all of ye who defend
the rights of all free people wherever and whoever they may be.
Published by Harrell Funeral Home of Austin on Aug. 29, 2022.
