In Memory of Denise Bonaventura

Over the past year, I've been able to get reacquainted via Facebook with many of the people who I served with in the U.S.Air Force at my first assignment at RAF Chicksands in Shefford, England.  We were all so young while serving over there, many of us still in our teen years. I was still sowing my wild oats at that time, especially since my parents were so strict and I never got to do any partying while I lived at home.  I can honestly say that I drank enough alcohol over there to put most grown men into a coma!

One of the first people that I met there and one that I worked side-by-side with the entire time I was there was a lady named Denise Bonaventura. Denise was a very nice person!  Although we had the wonderful opportunity to serve in England, the fact that we were young, single women on a small base overseas made us the constant conquest of a lot of horny men.  Most of these guys were solely after a roll in the hay and nothing further. I was quite disinterested in these pursuits, but poor Denise ended up getting hurt and went through two marriages

We each served our time at Chicksands and then moved on to other assignments.  I lost touch with Denise and many others after leaving there in 1981 and going to my new assignment at Fort Meade, MD. The years went by and I left active duty and entered the Air Force Reserve in 1989.  I ended up getting recalled to active duty during the Kosovo Crises in 1999.  During that time, I ran into several of the people who I served with over in England.  It was at that time that I found out that Denise had died in a car accident in 1991 while driving across country to a bowling match.  Apparently she had a little girl in tow to deliver to her grandparents along the way.  Unfortunately, both of them died in the accident.  I've prayed for Denise every day since I heard of her death.

Fast forward to the present, a guy named Bob Cavinder, who I also served with over in England recently posted a bunch of pictures of all of us partying on our off time over there. We were all on Able Flight. When I looked today I saw that he had a picture of Denise posted. It's the first that I've seen her face in over 33 years!  Here's the picture:

Denise Bonaventura circa 1980

I ended up finding out more about her death today. She was born on January 11, 1957 and was from Norwalk, Connecticut. On August 09, 1991, she died in a car accident in Van Horn, Culbertson, TX 79855 at the age of 35.  She was an active duty Technical Sergeant in the Air Force at that time.  I want to try to find out where she's buried so that I can create a virtual memorial for her at findagrave.com.

Rest in Peace, Denise!  Your memory lives on in the hearts of everybody who served on Able Flight at RAF Chicksands!

9 August 2015 Update

Today is the 24th anniversary of Denise's death.  I was not able to find her obituary anywhere up until today, but I figured that I'd take another try this afternoon and I ended up finding it on Page 6 of the 13 August 1991 edition of the Daily Advocate newspaper out of Stamford, Connecticut:

I was glad to find out her final resting place and have created a virtual memorial for her at findagrave.com:

Link to Denise's virtual memorial at findagrave.com