He was born on Jan. 6, 1947 to Riley Ray and Martha Bonnell of Scio. He graduated from Scio High School and moved to El Paso, Texas, where he met and married Linda Cummings. They had four children: one boy and three girls.

He was a professor of electronics and science at Western Technical College, where he taught until he passed from pneumonia and COVID.

He was one of the brothers who built the Bonnell Brothers skating rink.

He enjoyed skating, reading, walking in the desert, and riding his bike. He has a sister-in-law in Scio, Nancy Bonnell Crimm. God rest his soul.