Max John Bonney

Max John Bonney, 89, of Great Falls, MT passed away at his home of natural causes on October 19, 2023.

Vigil is Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 7:00 pm at O’Connor Memorial Chapel. The funeral service is Friday, October 27, 2023, at 1:00 pm at Vineyard Church with burial at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

He is survived by his four children, Max Bonney, Jr., Carey Bonney, Jamie Bonney, and William “Billy” Bonney, all of Great Falls; his brother, Pat Bonney of Butte; 11 grandchildren; and 8 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Cora Bonney; his parents; two brothers; two sisters; a granddaughter; and great granddaughter.

Max was born on May 14, 1934, in Las Vegas, NM to Raymond and Susan Bonney. Max was one of five children. When Max was 8 years old his family moved to Butte, MT where he attended school through the 8th grade. As a Spanish-speaking family, he had to quickly learn English. One of his first jobs was working in the Butte Copper Mines for his dad.

In 1951, Max met the love of his life, Cora Ann Gladeau, at the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Butte, MT. They were wed on April 15, 1952, and were married for 53 years until her death in 2005. Together they had two sons and two daughters. Max moved his family back and forth from Montana to Oregon working various construction jobs. They eventually ended up in Great Falls where he worked on the missile silos for a few years before ultimately working for Custom Foundation Company, from which he retired at the age of 55.

He enjoyed playing music with his family and friends. He loved to sing and played several instruments including guitar, violin, bass, mandolin, and the harmonica. He also loved boating, fishing, and spending time with his kids and grandkids. Max was a generous and kind person who genuinely loved getting to know people and sharing stories about his family. He loved to laugh, joke and will always be remembered for his signature toast of “Ole”!