Rita Bonar, Ph.D. (née Aguzzi) passed away on December 3rd, 2022 at the age of 71 years old after a challenging journey with liver cancer. She leaves behind her devoted husband William, her loving sons Brian and Christopher, her cherished sisters Anna (Paul) and Irene (André) and many family members and caring friends.

Rita was an active volunteer in many community organizations and programs. She was a longstanding Board Member of the Alzheimer Society of Montreal where she helped launch the Forget Me Not Program. She also served on the following Board of Directors: CSSS Cavendish, CHSLDs Saint Margaret, Father Dowd and Saint Andrew, the Richardson Hospital Centre and CHSLD Henri Bradet, Parkinson Montreal-Laval, Garderie Mont-Royal and the Montreal Extended Care Centre.

Rita’s love for teaching started at William Hingston High School and continued into CEGEP, the Special Care Counselling Department at Vanier College. She taught courses at McGill University’s School of Social Work and at the University of Montreal in the Continuing Education department. She also supervised students at the Masters and Ph.D. levels. Furthermore, she presented research papers at many conferences and published a number of scholarly articles.

Rita was a wonderful cook, outstanding seamstress and in recent years an avid proponent of raising a glass of Prosecco in a toast to life’s rewards and challenges with a smile and chuckle and the words: Life is good or I feel no pain. She was loved by her family, friends and colleagues and her presence will be sorely missed.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to The Vanier College Foundation for the Rita Bonar Memorial Scholarship Fund would be appreciated. Donations are accepted at the following link:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/14609?v1=true
(Please copy and paste the link in a new browser.)
Please ensure to choose the Rita Bonar Memorial Scholarship Fund option in the 'choose a fund' drop down list.
Alternatively, if you prefer to send a cheque via the mail, it can be sent directly to Vanier College. Please make the cheque payable to The Vanier College Foundation and make a note on the cheque that the funds are for the Rita Bonar Memorial Scholarship Fund. The cheque should be sent to the following address:
Vanier College Foundation, 821 ave Ste Croix, Montreal, Qc, H4L 3X9.

The family will receive condolences
at the Urgel Bourgie Funeral Complex,
1255 Beaumont Ave
Mount-Royal, Québec, H3P 3J1
on Thursday, December 8th, 2022 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
and on Friday December 9th, 2022, from 8:30 am to 9:30 am
followed by a ceremony at the
Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic church
1020 Laird, Mount-Royal, H3R 2G9
Friday December, 9th at 10:00 am.