Nicholas A. Bonavita

Here's that rainy day they told me about…

Nick Bonavita, age 93, fell asleep in death with his wife by his side, on December 28, 2023. He leaves his wife, Deb, his son, Mark (Michelle) Bonavita and his daughter Joy (Jeff) Sarette. He was the son of James and Josephine Bonavita, brother of Ray Bonavita, and lived his early years in Utica, NY.

Utica was special to Nick in many ways. It's where his love of music was born. He played the trombone both with local bands and the Utica Symphony (always reminding us he was their youngest member). It's also where he helped raised his children. He would speak of holding Joy on his lap watching tv and letting her stay up later than he should. Often he'd reminisce on how he taught her to make the perfect Scotch Manhattan for him. His son Mark played hockey and he was at every game no matter the city. The catchy nicknames he gave people started with Mark after watching The Cisco Kid. From then on, Nick was Cisco and Mark was Pancho. They formed a close bond over old movies too. They would watch the same ones over and over every time they were able to visit. They knew The Godfather dialogue by heart and would often play out a scene for us, word for word.

Nick had many loves--in addition to his family and music (jazz, big band and the crooners, like Sinatra and Bennett), he loved his Italian heritage, cooking, and his most treasured career in the wine/hospitality industry. Around Syracuse, back in the day, he was known as, "the wine guy". How he enjoyed creating wine lists for restaurants, doing training programs and holding wine tastings for various events. He loved many local restaurants, favoring Crittela's, Sterio's, Joey's and the Krebs in Skaneateles for nights out with his wife. The start of his career here was with M. Lichtman & Co. eventually becoming Director of Wine Marketing. He finished the wine portion of his career with Service Liquor. He then was invited to the Riveredge Resort in Alexandria Bay, NY and took the position of Maitre d' and Sommelier of the Jacques Cartier Room. He loved his time there and actually wrote his book, "Once Upon A Wine" while there. He finished his working career at the Turning Stone Resort at the age of 82. There was no TGIF for Nick!

He honestly didn't know how to retire. He worked around the house, loving his Cavalier King Charles dogs more than he expected to and cooked and made espresso for anyone who visited. Speaking of visits, when his sister-in-law Bec and her kids came, first Chad and Crista; then their mates, Erika and Mike and all their children, the house came alive. Teaching them how to make meatballs and sauce and, of course, eventually teaching them about fine wine. And somehow, always finding the last bottle of Clos de Vougeot . How they loved their "Zitzi" and his stories. They'd make him tell them over and over, and when he could no longer remember the endings, they'd finish them for him. Good times.

Over the years, he deeply contemplated his faith in God. At one point, he actually made an in depth study of the Bible. More than once he said he hoped with all his heart that its promise of there one day being Paradise on earth would come true. He loved living.

Our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Lou Bonavita. Your practice/life will never be the same without Uncle Nick to give you a hard time. Warmest thanks to your staff as well. Love to Angie and the kids.

There are no services scheduled at this time.


So it's the laughter we will remember, and we'll treasure the gift he left us--a trail of beautiful memories. That's his legacy.