Dr. Michael Edward Bonine
died December 21, 2011 of complications from intestinal cancer. Born in 1942, he grew up in Abilene, TX; his father, Paul a building contractor and his mother, Billie a schoolteacher. Heavily involved in Boy Scouts as a youth, he later attended UT Austin where he played handball, earned his PhD, and met his wife, Marilyn. His doctoral research took them to Iran (via Land Rover driven from England) in the late 1960s. In 1975 he moved from UC Davis to Tucson with his wife and two small children to join the U of Arizona faculty as a human geographer. Dr. Bonine achieved international recognition for his work on urbanization of the Middle East and other arid lands. He was Head of the UA's Dept. of Near Eastern Studies 2001-2011, which, under his visionary leadership, was transformed into the School of Middle Eastern & North African Studies in July 2011. Dr. Bonine was a brilliant and compassionate scholar, teacher, mentor, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. He gave extraordinary dedication and support to his family, colleagues, and scores of students. An intrepid traveler, he explored over 120 countries, taking incredible photos along the way. He followed UA sports avidly, played racquetball for decades, and loved hiking in Sabino Canyon. He will be remembered for his expansive spirit and endless curiosity - a source of encouragement and inspiration to all who knew him. Throughout his illness he maintained his characteristic sharp wit and optimism, coupled with stoic determination. Dr. Bonine is survived by: Marilyn; son, Kevin (Angela); daughter, Kim (Eric); brother, Gary; sister, Brenda; nephews, Kuzi and Tiisai and grandchildren, Molly, Piper, Summer and Fisher. A celebratory potluck brunch will be held in Dr. Bonine's honor Sunday, January 29, 2012, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Contact Sue and Dick Stratton (520-886-1263) or Jo Musser-Krauss (520-886-9639) for details. A campus memorial celebration will be held at UA's Slonaker House (1027 E. 2nd St.) Monday, January 30, 2012, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. In February, a global collection of his photographs will be displayed at Caffé Lucé (on Park). All who knew him are invited to share memories: facebook group "Michael E Bonine Memorial Page" or caringbridge.org/visit/mikebonine, where info about contributing to the "Michael Bonine Memorial Travel & Research Award" will also be posted (or visit uafoundation.org, or menas.arizona.edu).