Patrick Bonifas

He and his buddy Tom Lancour got in all sorts of trouble around town but graduated from Holy Name High School in 1966. Following high school, Pat joined the Air Force and served in Korea. In 1968 he married his long-time love, Barbara (nee Jensen), and the two of them moved to Minot, N.D. to complete his Air Force service. They embarked on a parenting trial with dogs Buffy and Robert.

After the Air Force, the duo headed for Wisconsin and settled in Wausau. Here was the first big job at Brauman Paper Co. and the beginning of a career in sales, the first home and start of a lifetime of home improvement projects apprenticing under father-in-law Mert, college classes in marketing and accounting, and birth of the first daughter with two more to follow.

Pat’s next journey was into the world of flooring as he joined Mittco and brought the family to Appleton. More house projects, good friends, and a great parish were enjoyed for many years until Mittco came to an end. He commuted weekly to Milwaukee to sort out the liquidation and stayed with good friends (the Radeuge’s) only able to see his family on the weekend.

Despite the recession, Pat found steady work in flooring sales, and a job with Carpetland brought him to northwest Indiana, where he continued the weekly commuter lifestyle until the family was able to finally join him and settle all in one place in Valparaiso, Ind. He ­developed deep roots including becoming involved in the St. Paul parish as a parish council member and serving often as a ­Eucharistic Minister. He developed lifelong friendships through the Men’s Cursillo group. It was while in Valpo that he achieved a dream of business ownership, becoming a co-owner of Tri-State ­Supply, a wholesale flooring distributor. ­Following this ­success, he said goodbye to wholesale and took on the world of retail with his store I-Deal Floors.

Recession came again, hitting small businesses hard, and despite many years of success Pat and Barb were not spared. Disappointment presented opportunity and one more move was in the works ­– this time to Minnesota near daughters Amy and Megan. Pat quickly embedded himself in the neighborhood as a regular feature and was more often than not found down the street chatting with neighbors. Home improvement projects continued and included laying flooring, adding a deck, putting up a fence, making a pergola so Barb could grow her shade garden, and making dozens of birdhouses.

He will be missed tremendously and is dearly loved. He is survived by the love of his life and wife, Barb; daughters, Amy (Ken), Kate (Curt), Megan (Lisa); and grandchildren Ben, Sienna, Rose, Nora, and Mabel. He will be dearly missed by his siblings, James R (Linda) Bonifas of Escanaba, a sister, Loretta J (Joe) DeChristopher of Escanaba, brother, Michael J (Sandra Brinker) Bonifas of Escanaba, a brother, George E.(Lucy) Bonifas of Valparaiso, and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial Mass will be held at St. Joseph St. Patrick Church in Escanaba on July 17 at 11 a.m.

Funeral services will be August 21 at St. Timothy’s Church in Blaine, Minn. ­Visitation is at 10 a.m. followed by funeral Mass at 11 a.m.