At age 90, Bob Bonhomme didn’t have many regrets, but he wondered what life would have looked like if he got his high school diploma and attended prom. He told his daughter-in-law, Diane Bonhomme, about it and she made things happen. He no longer has to wonder.
Bob dropped out of St. Augustine School in Kalamazoo, Michigan, so he could go to work. He needed to help out his family. On June 10, 2024, at a board of education meeting, Bob got his degree.
Bob always wanted to go back to school. “Life just always got in the way,” he mused. He was drafted into the United States Army at age 19. He fought for 14 months in the Korean War.
After the Army, Bob would find work at a paper mill. He worked there for 40 years and raised four kids. After retirement, he was a caregiver to his wife Norma. She died 11 years ago.
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Bob opened up to Diane about his dream of getting his high school diploma during one of their weekly lunches. “I saw the desire in his eyes when he talked about it,” Diane recalled. “Before his life was over, I wanted to make sure he got to enjoy and do those things.”
Diane partnered with Mark Bielang, the Portage Public Schools superintendent, and other state officials, to make Bob’s dreams come true. “We are honored to give Bob his diploma, something he sacrificed years ago to serve his family and country,” Mark stated when presenting Bob with his diploma. “Thank you for your service to our country.”
Bob is thrilled with his new degree and opened up to CBS affiliate WWMT-TV about it. “[Diane] asked me a few months ago, 'What did I miss?'” he recalled. “I missed graduation and going to prom. Well, I went to the prom; now I got my graduation. I'm satisfied.”
