Teotimo (Tom) Domingo Bonzon was born on April 20, 1934 near the white sand beaches of Navotas, Philippines. He died peacefully on October 8, 2024 in his home in Jacksonville, Florida.

He was a loving husband to Purification (Tita) Lagman and proud father to Rosemarie, Susan (Troy), Thomas (Debbie), Ramon (Erin), and Rebecca (Charlie).  He was affectionately known as "Lolo" to his 10 grandchildren - Abigail, Timothy, Thaddaeus, Hannah, Mary, Eleanor, Maxwell, Everett, Aiden, and Callum. He was the older brother (Kuya) to Adele and Cora and uncle (Tito) to 18 nieces and nephews.

Tom graduated with a Doctorate of Medicine at Far Eastern University where he met the love of his life, Tita. This is where he also developed a cadre of life-long friends who later would be recruited to America to practice medicine. Together, Tom and Tita immigrated to the United States to start their health care careers and strive for the American dream. They married on June 20, 1964 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

A skillful surgeon and family medicine doctor, he practiced in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida and Illinois. Later in life, Tom and Tita went on international mission trips to serve communities needing medical services. In addition to running and owning several family medicine clinics in Jacksonville, FL, Tom and Tita ventured into the motel business on Jacksonville Beach with the Friendship Inn. A master communicator and wordsmith, Tom loved to write correspondence to everyone he met and knew. It didn't matter who it was, a relative, old friend, neighbor, church member, in-laws, his kid's in-laws, or the President, he loved handwriting letters, celebratory cards and postcards. He was excited about the invention of email (Yay! AOL), where he could now spend hours writing updates about his family's lives and surely prompting almost instant replies. If you were a lucky recipient of his correspondence, outside of the forwarded chain emails or interesting news articles, you knew you were in the heart and mind of Tom Bonzon. His verbal conversations, similar to his written, were always engaging and authentic no matter a loved one or a stranger.

Often seen with a pile of books to read on his bedside or coffee table, Tom loved devouring all types of stories - fiction, non-fiction, biographies or mystery thrillers. Because of his love of reading, Tom became a walking dictionary. He loved tackling crossword puzzles and playing a competitive game of scrabble. A patient fisherman, Tom enjoyed a day by the water to fish over any day in the office, or anywhere else for that matter. Perhaps this love of fishing came from growing up in a poor fishing village by the sea. Rain or shine, bites or no bites, wherever he lived, he delighted in finding the best fishing holes and testing out different baits to catch the most fish. Tom found great pleasure in tending to a garden, where he has said to be "the closest place to God". Weeding, watering, and harvesting, his hands were often in the dirt. He understood the need for attention, appreciation, and caring of plants, one of the many gifts from God, and because of this, would always have the most bountiful harvests. Always rooting for the underdog in any sport, maybe instilled in him by being a lifelong New York Jets fan - he enjoyed everything from football to tennis, baseball to boxing, NASCAR to horse-racing, and, of course, the Olympics. He was excited to watch the real life drama of sports, the joy of victory and the misery of defeat.

The one thing anyone who's met Tom can attest to is his infinite amounts of generosity. Along with Tita, he repeatedly opened up their home and hearts to relatives immigrating to America, family members needing temporary housing, church members going through difficult times, missionaries on mission trips, and friends of friends in transition. Tom was never shy about giving the shirt off his back or the shoes off his feet or to lend a hand to someone who is less fortunate than him. The 60 plus year relationship of Tom and Tita is a testament to "Love Can Conquer All Things." Surviving life's hardest trials and tribulations, Tom and Tita's marriage is a true example of partnership, devotion, and everlasting love.

Tom leaves a legacy of his values: connection through language, appreciation for nature, achievement of goals through passion and hard work, and faith in a faithful God, our Everlasting Father.

Family will receive visitors and hold a memorial service on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at:

Christ-Centered International Fellowship

3846 Hartley Road

Jacksonville, FL

Family Viewing           4:30PM - 5:00PM

Calling Hours              5:00PM - 5:30PM

Service                        5:30PM - 7:00PM

Fellowship                   7:00PM - 8:30PM

Burial will occur on Friday, October 18, 2024 from 11AM - 12PM at:

Arlington Park Cemetery

6920 Lone Star Road

Jacksonville, FL 32211