David Bonsall

David Jerry Bonsall, age 69, of Centralia, WA, died August 5, 2026 in an Olympia, WA hospital. He was born September 20, 1956 in Cedar Rapids, IA to Richard and Anna Mae (Klinsky) Bonsall, and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1974.

He is survived by his daughter Jessica Hoarn and her husband Nathan, grandson Judah, granddaughter Nolan, two sisters Kim Bonsall of Centralia, WA and Sarah Beal of Monticello, IA, and two nephews Joshua and Matthew Beal.

David attended Iowa State University in Ames where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. There he joined Triangle Fraternity, and has remained active in the decades since, particularly with the dozens of fraternity brothers who have stayed in touch remotely and in person, and who became lifelong friends.

During a break from college, he had a small leather-working business where he would combine leather carving, tooling, and staining to make belts, backgammon boards, and “paintings”. He moved to Boulder, CO where he was instrumental in a local furniture-building business, and then moved back to Ames to complete his degree.

After graduation, David moved to St. Louis, MO, and was a partner in a mechanical engineering and construction management firm, McGrath, Inc. for many years. He thrived with his challenging work on large and complicated systems such as those in hospitals, and was proud of his excellence in mechanical cost estimating. He also enjoyed a shared country retreat at a lake in High Hill. One memorable event there was a small gathering of old and new friends for the total solar eclipse of 2017.

David married Amy Kortenhof in 1985, and they welcomed the birth of their daughter in 1986. While they later divorced, they remained life-long friends and cooperating parents and grandparents. After retiring, in 2020 David moved to Centralia, WA to join Kim, Jessica and Nathan on what became a 40-acre extended family homestead, with visiting spots for Amy and for Nathan’s parents. David and Nathan have been active in renovating the several existing buildings, and beginning the hilltop construction of a new timber frame house for Jessica’s family.

David was an artist and a craftsman, a skilled carpenter and an avid reader, and his greatest loves were raising and always being there for his daughter, and being the creative and playful grandpa for his grandchildren.

He was an excellent tennis player and athlete in his youth, but lately had suffered from several months of declining health, finally leading to his hospitalization. The complications became worse as the days went on, and he finally passed away peacefully with Jessica, Nathan, Kim, and fraternity brother Roy Swain at his bedside.

He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

Donations can be made to a memorial fund with the Washington Home Builders Foundation. https://www.biaw.com/donate

This is the direct donation link. https://donate.stripe.com/8x2bITbmJdi50Y68W56Ri05