Don Bovey, age 73, a resident of Wheaton, IL, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois.  He was born October 9, 1945 in Rockford, Illinois to Donald and Grace Bovey.

On April 15, 1966, Donald and Bonnie Bovey were married in Fullerton California.  Having both grown up in families which had known significant dysfunction, the two of them set out to build a family based on their common love for Jesus Christ and their desire to serve him.

In the summer of 1963, at the age of 17, Donald Bovey had attended a Billy Graham crusade in Los Angeles where he rededicated his life to serve Jesus Christ.  That fall, he attended Fullerton College where he helped lead a Christian club which saw over 100 students come to know Christ as their Savior and saw the club grow from 7 students to over 400 in two years time.  One of the students who came to know Christ was Bonnie Conway, who would become his wife and partner in ministry for the next 53 years.

Just weeks before their wedding in 1966, Don became aware that his military draft was imminent and that he could be sent to serve in the Vietnam War.  God answered their prayers, allowing Don and Bonnie to marry before he was called up. From 1967-1969, Donald was separated from his young bride during two tours as a medic on the USS Valley Forge off the coast of Vietnam.  Through the uncertainty and separation and the constant exposure to the gruesomeness of death, God forged Donald into a man who trusted God implicitly and who was at his best in the midst of crisis.

Over the next 35 years, Don became an expert in merchandise handling for the Christian Publishing industry.  He worked for Scripture Press and Urban Ministries at every level of warehousing from order picker and janitor to supervisor, manager, director and ultimately vice president of operations.  He oversaw warehouses in Illinois, California, Canada and England. In his spare time, Don founded Affordable Lawn and Home Care, a landscaping and snow removal company now in its 35th year.  Though warehousing was his specialty, Don held a fascinating variety of jobs ranging from Disneyland character (including a stint as Pluto), to navy corpsman, vice-president of a publishing company, entrepreneur, corporate chaplain, and lastly crossing guard (which he sometimes said was his favorite job).

But though his family is proud of his accomplishments, Don would often say that more important to him than any job was the task of being a dad to his two boys.  When his boys were in school, Donald served in numerous functions at Wheaton Christian Grammar School in roles which included assistant 5th grade basketball coach, outdoor education chaperon, board member and chairman of the board.  He also coached numerous park district baseball and soccer teams for his boys.

To his family, Don was a wonderful reflection of his heavenly Father.  Though very imperfect (as he was usually quick to admit!), Don set an incredible example as a husband and father.  He played baseball with Tim and Dan most every day in the summer when they were little, he attended nearly all their sports events and was their "go to guy" when they needed someone to talk to.  He loved Bonnie immensely and they were truly a team for 53 years. He loved planning vacations for his family and always had plans and dreams and lists of things he wanted to do for them.

The driving force in his life was his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He rarely went anywhere without telling someone he was a believer in Jesus. He spent over 50 years teaching the Bible and mentoring college students.  He and Bonnie started college ministries at Glenfield Baptist Church and New Life Bilingual Church where he taught every week and ministered to hundreds of students.  He loved his church family at New Life and loved having them over to his house. Though his Spanish was terrible (sorry Dad!), his love for people enabled him to form deep friendships with those of very different backgrounds.  Through his Bible studies, mentoring and sharing Jesus with others, he impacted the lives of thousands.

Over time, Don and Bonnie's family of two grew to be thirteen.  Don's family was the joy of his life. He loved spending time with his grandchildren.  Ruthie (16), Micaiah (13), Peter (11), Maddie (10), Josiah (7), Yali (7), and Gabriel (4) loved being with their grandpa (known to them as "Baga").  They loved hearing his stories, laughing at his bad jokes, eating the treats he loved to buy and which Bonnie scolded him for. He is already deeply missed, but we take joy in the fact that he now sees his Savior face to face.

A visitation will be held March 31, 2019 from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. at New Life Bilingual Church, 468 Ann St, West Chicago, IL 60185, (630) 231-3315, where a funeral service will follow at 3:00 p.m. Private interment and military honors will take place at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois.

Memorial gifts may be directed to family .

"...we can see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face-to-face."
(I Corinthians 13:12 The Living Bible)