Donald Bomann died February 15, 2018 at his home in Farmington, Conn. He was 85.
He was born in 1932 in New York City, to Donald and Janet Bomann, and was raised in Rye, where he lived for over 50 years.
A graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and Kenyon College, “Pidge”, as he was fondly known, was recognized for his service as class agent and formidable fundraiser at both schools. He was also the chairman of his Exeter 25th Class Reunion.
Mr. Bomann was tremendously proud to be part of a military family. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1955-1956, and his brother Holmes Bomann served in the U.S. Marines in 1951. They followed in the footsteps of their grandfather, Major General John F O’Ryan, who commandeered the 27th New York National Guard Division in World War I that broke the Hindenburg Line.
He worked for two years at the Burroughs Corporation and then spent over 30 years with IBM in various sales and marketing roles. After retiring from IBM, he and his wife Joan owned a real estate company, Realty 3, in Rye for 17 years.
A firm believer in community service, Mr. Bomann served for several years on the board of directors of the Rye YMCA, and as Vice Chairman of the Fundraising Committee he was instrumental in doubling the Y’s footprint in the 1990s. More recently, he organized a highly successful neighborhood food drive for the Farmington Food Pantry, filling two pickup trucks and soliciting cash donations.
A longtime member of Apawamis Club in Rye, you would often find him on a tennis, squash, or pickleball court. He founded and, for close to twenty years, ran a popular squash group known as the SWANS (Seniors Wednesday At Noon Squash).
He will be remembered for his marvelous sense of humor and the tongue-in-cheek short poems he wrote and delivered on special occasions.
In addition to his wife Joan, he is survived by his children from a previous marriage: Christopher Atkins Bomann, Elizabeth Bomann Kopp, and John Scott Bomann.
A memorial service was held February 20 at St. James Parish in Farmington.
To send online condolences to the family, visit ahernfuneralhome.com.
Donations in Donald Bomann’s memory may be made to the Rye YMCA, 21 Locust Avenue, Rye, NY 10580, or St. James Parish, 3 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT.
