Bicyclist, 87, rode everywhere, son says

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 22, 2008 at 10:25 a.m.
Updated July 22, 2008 at 12:38 p.m.

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No one who knew John H. Bonbright was the least surprised that the 87-year-old was on his bicycle on the day he died.

"He would have been on his bicycle when he was 97," his son, Dr. Tom Bonbright, said Monday.

John Bonbright was on his bicycle crossing East Alameda Avenue at Newport Street last week when he was hit by a motorcycle going west on Alameda driven by 21-year-old Bulhan Abdulahi.

The men were thrown off their bikes, got tangled and slid together westward down Alameda.

Bonbright died from his injuries. Abdulahi, charged with reckless driving resulting in death, is in intensive care at a local hospital.

"He rode his bicycle everywhere," Tom Bonbright, a dentist, said of his father, who was also a dentist.

"I can safely say he was jogging before people knew what the word jogging meant."

John Bonbright was born June 27, 1921, and grew up in St. Paul, Minn. He was in the army, then earned a dental degree from the University of Minnesota in 1945, his son said.

"He practiced a few years in St. Paul, and with the Air Force," Tom said. "We were in Tripoli, Libya, Mobile, Alabama ... we finally, thank goodness, decided to move to Denver in 1955."

There Bonbright stayed, starting a practice that his son continues today.

"He was a neat guy," Tom said. "He taught me a lot of stuff. Not so much technique, as integrity and honesty and helping people ... doing no harm.

"He was the kind of guy who never carried a daytimer," Tom said. "He remembered all of his to-do lists and everything."

Bonbright's main duties lately had been taking care of his wife, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease, and his death will be a big void in her care.

Bonbright's son said it doesn't do any good to be bitter about the accident and the motorcyclist.

"As far as I know, he's a young guy, 21, God help him, going somewhat too fast, but not outrageously fast," Tom Bonbright said. "He was in the middle lane. Dad saw him at the last second. Dad dug in to try to make it across."

The motorcyclist apparently thought Bonbright was going to stop, so went left, rather than right, to try to avoid him, and the collision happened.

"It was an accident, that's all there is to it," Tom said, noting his dad had crossed that same street hundreds of times on his bicycle.

"It doesn't do any good to be bitter. It's not as if the guy was intoxicated."

John Bonbright "loved to fly airplanes, he loved to play golf, go skiing, bicycling," Tom said.

Bonbright got hit by a car 17 years ago, which "changed his life," making it impossible to continue his daily runs.

He retired from dentistry 20 years ago, but continued to go to the office several times a month, doing denture work, Tom said. "I liked being able to bounce ideas off of him, just talking to him.

"He had this one-liner wit -- the guy had a great sense of humor."

John Bonbright had four sons, one who died many years ago. The others are Bob, who lives in St. George, Utah, Bill, who lives in Houston, and Tom, the dentist in Denver.

He also leaves behind his wife, Joan, of Denver, two sisters and numerous grandchildren.

scanlon@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2897

• July 22, 2008

  11:15 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Buckwheat writes:

  Sounded like a nice old guy, and the world is at a loss. God speed John Bonbright.

• July 22, 2008

  11:35 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  mtnsrfer writes:

  Sounds like he did a good job raising his son as well.

• July 22, 2008

  11:53 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  rmnreader writes:

  Sounds like a great dad whose son really respected him. Really refreshing to see when it is no longer a common thing in our society.

• July 22, 2008

  12:45 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Dick_Tater writes:

  Sad, sounds like a well accomplished man.

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