Dr. George (Butch) Griffith Bonham, 83, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 7, 2025.
The family will receive friends Wednesday, July 9, 2025 from 5:00-6:30 pm at Greene Funeral Home Northwest Chapel, 2133 Ebenezer Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, July 10, 2025 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1320 India Hook Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732 with Reverend Mike Honeycutt officiating.
Nicknamed for his dad’s best friend, Butch was born Dec. 20, 1941 in Wilkes Barre, PA. The second son of the late Charlton H. Bonham and Elizabeth Griffith Bonham, he was predeceased by a brother, “Chart” and is survived by a brother, “Hap” (Barbara).
After graduating from high school in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Butch became a Blue Devil, finishing Duke University in 1963. Medical School at the University of North Carolina came next as did marriage to Susan Thorpe, a recent UNC nursing grad. Despite their love and devotion to each other, Susan was never able to make him a “Tar Heel.”
Two years of pediatric residency at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville were next, followed by two years as a naval officer in Annapolis, Maryland. At last, after one more year of residency in Chapel Hill, Butch and Susan along with little ones, Phil, Beth and John, settled in Rock Hill.
Pediatric practice was a labor of love for Butch. His devotion to his patients and their families was recognized particularly by his family as they watched him stop “mid bite” to return a call. He always considered it a privilege to be entrusted with the healthcare of his young patients.
When retirement age came in 2002, Butch became more involved in volunteer work which had always been close to his heart. In addition to lots of church work, he served on the Salvation Army board, worked at Hope, the Adult Enrichment Center, and accompanied a medical mission to Haiti. Receiving the S.C. “Order of the Silver Cresent” was a highlight recognizing hours and hours of service in York County Resource Center pediatric clinics.
Butch loved to dig in the dirt and was busy spring to fall planting flowers. Spending a couple of weeks at his boyhood summer cottage on Lake Nuangola, PA was all the vacation he wanted. By his own admission, he played some “bad golf” for a few years before turning his athletic leaning toward the bleachers and his grandsons’ soccer games.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Susan Thorpe Bonham, and his three treasured children, George Philip Bonham (Lindsay), Elizabeth Bonham Taylerson (Chris) and John Griffith Bonham (Laralynn). Grandchildren who filled his life with fun and laughter are Becca Bonham Fitts (Calvin), Turner Bonham (Tori), Katherine Bonham, Alan Taylerson (Rutledge), Matt Taylerson, Eli Bonham, Ada Bonham, Jackson Bonham, Emersyn Bonham, and Ellison Bonham and one great-grandson, Cal Taylerson.
Memorials may be made in Dr. Bonham’s name to HOPE of Rock Hill at www.hopeofrockhill or Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1320 India Hook Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732 or to the charity of one’s choice.
Condolences may be made to the Bonham family at www.greenefuneralhome.net.