Louis Bonaiuto

Louis “Lou” J. Bonaiuto, 77, passed away on Sunday, January 25, 2026, in Westminster, Colorado.  Beloved husband and best friend of Maria M. Bonaiuto; devoted father of Matt and Dave; adoring grandfather of Rafi, Anya, and Matyas; cherished brother of Lucia Hotton; treasured uncle of Gina and David Hotton (d. 2006); much-loved great-uncle of Claudia Bates; and admired gentleman to many other relatives and friends.  He was a family-oriented world traveler, a snazzy dresser, an admired leader, and a true patriot, who served his country with honor and integrity for 26 years.  He had dual passions of developing organizations and providing hands-on help to people in need in New England, North Carolina, and Colorado.  Always active in his church community, Lou was devoted to helping others in need and to the principles of Catholic social teaching.  He venerated Abraham Lincoln, and strove to emulate his character and leadership.

Lou was born on February 25, 1948, to Mary and Louis Bonaiuto of New Britain, Connecticut.  In his youth, he was active in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), as a drill team commander and aerospace enthusiast, rising to the rank of Cadet Colonel and Cadet Commander of the New Britain CAP Cadet Squadron.  He graduated from New Britain Senior High School in 1966 and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut (UConn), where he majored in Political Science and excelled in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (Army ROTC) program.  In his senior year at UConn, he was elected president and Commander of Company F, 12th Regiment Pershing Rifles, a national military honor society.

At UConn, he met and fell in love with his future wife, Maria (née Mihály).  They married a week before graduation, in May of 1970, launching their five-and-a-half-decade partnership.  Lou’s sister, Lucia (Loo-chee-ah) Hotton, twenty years his elder, taught him to appreciate music, literature, and Italian cuisine.  She has always been a great friend to Lou and his family; Lucia and her husband, Peter (d. 2015), served as matron of honor and best man at Lou and Maria’s wedding.

In June of 1970, Lou was designated a Distinguished Military Graduate and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.  He graduated from the Armor Officer Basic course at Fort Knox, KY, and was deployed to Germany to serve as a Platoon Leader, Adjutant, and Operations Officer of the 3rd Squadron, 8th U.S. Cavalry in Mannheim.  During their three years in Germany, Maria and Lou welcomed their first son, Matt.

Upon returning from Germany, they moved to Middletown, CT.  In 1973, Lou resigned from the active Army and joined the Army Reserves.  Two years later, they welcomed their second son, Dave.  In 1978, they settled in Glastonbury, CT, where Lou was a fixture on the board at Woodledge and timed many a swim meet for his sons.

From 1973 to 1996, Lou continued his military career as an Army Reservist in the 76th Division (Institutional Training), headquartered in West Hartford, CT.  There he served in various capacities as a Company Commander, Battalion and Brigade Adjutant, Division Finance Officer, and Acting Inspector General, and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Simultaneously, he pursued his banking career with banks in Hartford, CT, and Centerbank of Waterbury, CT, rising to Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer.

He acquired a Master of Science in organizational behavior from the University of Hartford in 1978, and a Master of Science in Management from the Hartford Graduate Center in 1986.  His Army education included graduation with honors from the Command and General Staff College.

In 1997, Maria and Lou moved to Charlotte, NC, where Lou retired from First Union / Wachovia in 2007 as Senior Vice President.  Not content to rest in retirement, he worked as a management consultant in private practice until 2013.  In Charlotte, Lou volunteered in many capacities at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food banks, and as finance chair for St. Peter Catholic Church.

His happiest times came after he and Maria fully retired and moved to Westminster, Colorado, to be closer to their grandkids.  Lou considered it a blessing to be engaged in Rafi’s (13) and Anya’s (11) daily lives, and cherished weekly videocalls and monthlong visits from Matyas (9) between his parents’ diplomatic deployments abroad.

Lou derived great satisfaction from his many volunteer pursuits: especially his weekly shifts at the United Service Organizations (USO) Center at Denver Airport and his work at the food bank of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

He is remembered as a thoughtful, gifted, and generous person.  He was much loved for his warmth, kindness, humor, and dedication to family and service.

A memorial will be held on Saturday, February 7, at 10:00 a.m. at the St. John Francis Regis Chapel at Regis University in Denver.

Donations in Lou’s memory may be made to the United Service Organizations (USO) (https://colorado.uso.org/den) or the American Cancer Society (https://donate.cancer.org).