Gene Duane Bongard's Obituary
Gene Duane Bongard passed away on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at his home on Grass Lake Road. He was surrounded by his family.
Gene was born on January 12, 1938, at Hurley Hospital in Flint, Michigan to Ira Claude Bongard and Lenora Ida (Golz) Bongard. The family moved to Big Rapids in 1939, and Ira and Len built their lifelong home on 190th Ave. Over the coming years, the family expanded to include Gene’s sisters, Carla and Karen.
Gene attended St. Peter’s Lutheran School through eighth grade and graduated from Big Rapids High School in 1956, after which he worked a variety of jobs in the Big Rapids area: he was a cooper at the Heinz Pickle Factory and worked in metal fabrication and construction. He briefly studied education at Ferris Institute while working full time, playing intramural flag football and basketball, and playing on the Ferris baseball team in the spring of 1958.
With an adventurous spirit, Gene joined the Army in 1959 and spent three years serving his country. He loved regaling his family with stories about his time as a tank driver in West Germany, ski trips to Austria, and wonderful meals of Wurst, Käse, Schwarzbrot, and Bier. Gene was deeply proud of his military service and the trust placed in him by the officers he served. He was an avid history buff, especially military history, and he could identify any passing plane by the sound of its engine.
Gene returned to Big Rapids in 1962 and was introduced the very next day to Diane Winter by his sister Karen. The two were married on June 29, 1963, and between 1964 and 1971, they had three children: Gene (Geno), Carrie, and Amy. During this time, the family moved into a home built by Gene’s grandfather and great grandmother, and Gene and Diane expanded and renovated the house until it became the beautiful place it is today, complete with lovingly cultivated gardens and two ponds.
The family loved to spend time outside and to play and watch sports. Among their most special times together were camping trips to the Two Hearted River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Going to the Two Hearted was one of the few activities that Gene counted as more important than school; he often said that the lessons learned there were invaluable.
Gene served as a leader at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church for decades, taking time off from this work only to follow his children's sports activities. Gene was a true fan of his kids and their teams and was never too busy to play catch or debrief a game. After his children graduated, he continued to work with the Big Rapids High School softball team and was particularly devoted to developing fast pitch softball pitchers, as he himself had been a very successful pitcher in men’s fast pitch leagues in the Big Rapids area for many years. He was inducted into the Mecosta County Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, and he never missed an Old Timers’ softball game. He lit up when he talked about the fun and laughs he had with family and teammates at those games. He pitched in his last one at the age of 67.
Throughout, Gene enjoyed traveling (Alaska, Maui, and Maine!), gardening, playing golf, and all things bird-related -- from feeding them, to building houses and feeders, to watching them through his kitchen window and meticulously recording the calls and sightings. He led a life of generosity, love, and faith, and he was both a fierce and a kind family man.
Gene is survived by his loving wife of nearly 62 years, Diane, his sisters, Carla and Karen, and his children: Geno and his wife Ellen (step grandchildren Eric and wife Megan, and Lindsay), Carrie, and Amy (grandchildren Anselm and wife Sabrina, Adelia and partner Matt, and Henry).
Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 30, 2025, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church. Gene’s family will greet friends beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Peter's Lutheran Church or School.
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