"Jeannie and family, my heart goes out to you for the loss of Lou. I watched your beautiful video tribute and he was certainly a man well loved. May God bring you peace and comfort. May your memories of him live on in all of you. Love, Paulette"
In loving memory of
Louis Frederick Boness IV
November 9, 1949 - January 1, 2021
Louis F. Boness IV, 71, of Rochester, passed away unexpectedly on January 1, 2021 at his home in Rochester.
Louis was born November 9, 1949 in Chicago, IL to Louis F. and Eleanor (Busse) Boness III. He graduated from Valparaiso High School in Indiana and went on to obtain his bachelor degree in math and economics from Winona State University in 1975. On November 29, 1975 in Eau Claire, WI, Louis married Jeannie Mason. Louis worked for International Transport in Rochester for several years before going to work in logistics at IBM, where he would retire from after 30 years of service. He had a passion for rock collecting, and collected rocks from all over the world, he was a true rock hound. Louis loved traveling to Colorado, visiting and photographing his favorite place, Rocky Mountain National Park. He enjoyed rollercoasters, cooking, 70's and 80's music and his dogs, Roxy and Bundy. He was an avid sports fan and loved watching and reciting sports trivia to anyone who would listen. Louis loved to follow the weather, had a dream of being a storm chaser and was known to his family as Doppler IV. He lived to make people laugh in person or on social media. Louis would light up whenever his grandchildren were around. He was very proud of his family and had a heart of gold.
Louis is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Jeannie; sons, Louis (Erica) Boness V of Rochester, Mike (Breanne) Boness of Brooklyn Center; grandchildren, Frederick, Jenna, Charlie, Maddie, Hannah, Jackson and Caleb; sister, Nancy (Mark) Blume of Rochester and a host of other family and friends. Louis was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Eleanor and by his sister, Leslie.
A memorial service will be held 1:00 p.m. Friday, January 8, 2021 at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester. Visitation will be held from 11:30 a.m. until time of the service. The Rev. Nathaniel Schwartz will be officiating with inurnment at Oakwood Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed on the Ranfranz and Vine Facebook page. Due to Covid-19, masks and social distancing will be observed.
In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to family for a future charitable contribution.
Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Boness family; to share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com
Tributes
"Jeanne, Louie, Mike and family - I was shocked and saddened to hear of Lou?s passing. He was always Gentle Giant, and avid sports fan, friend to many and loved his family deeply. He will be missed tremendously! Our prayers are with you in this time of grief! Bob Peters"
"My sincere condolences to you and your family, Jeanne. My thoughts and prayers are with you hope you may find comfort in your memories of your husband. Lowell C. Dale, MD"
"Louie always made me smile. He was an avid sports fan. What a great family. Lou will be missed by many. I will pray for the families healing during this hard time. "
"We are so sad to hear of Lou's passing. Lou was a kind, funny and thoughtful man. He and Jeanne raised two wonderful sons with lots of love, support and humor.
We had so much fun at ST. Pius and Lourdes sporting events over many years. Thank you Lou and family for the great memories in our heads and heart. Prayers."
"I'm sorry for your loss. What an amazing family! I've missed you all since your mother Eleonore passing."
"Jeannie, Lou, Mike and family, Teresa and I (and the entire Silker family) are saddened by the news of Lou?s passing. I have so many fond memories of time spent with Lou and his incredible smile and chuckle. He always had a kind word for everyone and left a person knowing that his friendship was genuine. I will always fondly remember our visits in my office when I served as Recreation Director at IBM, the Lourdes gym rail discussions where we would always find him standing with Tom Turner, Richard Daley and whomever else was a basketball fan admiring the latest addition of LHS players. The traveling basketball trips with Lou (THANKS for sharing the coaching bench with me Lou) driving that ?boat of a van? and inviting anyone on board to welcome themselves to the many treats in the between the seat cooler. My first introduction to Jelly Belly candy and their unique flavors (don?t pick the Buttered Popcorn). Lou made a lasting impression on everyone he met. The kindness he showed for everyone was a family trait that everyone in the Boness family showed others. We share in your loss and celebrate his impact on so many of us. Rest In Peace big Lou and until we meet again; we will miss you. David and Teresa Silker "
"Lou was a friend to all. He knew how to truly care for people. After years of sharing times with our kids in school and sports, so many positive thoughts come to mind. How he loves all sports! And not just when his own children would be playing. He was a true champion to each child playing. We also loved driving by his house at Christmas. He had channeled his inner child and lit up the neighborhood. It has been several years since we have seen Lou and Jeannie. But Lou lives on in our hearts and memories. Thank you, Lou, for giving us so many happy memories! "
"My wife & I were fortunate to work with Lou at IBM. He always kept calm attitude to assess the task before jumping into it. Sometimes even using the sports "time out signal" to achieve his view. A good story teller he was, we heard many retold from Wis, Ind & Illinois. Our Blessings to Family, Rest in Peace Lou."
"I have had the honor of knowing Lou since 1971 in Winona Minnesota. Lou loved the sports. He could throw a football farther than anyone I knew. We would have to relay passes in order to get the football back to Lou. We played my in many softball games, on the the "Big O" team in Winona. He also had a wicked serve on the tennis court. You did not want to get hit by the ball! During our time in Winona, was a common assurance to go bar hopping on Friday nights. Lou and Ron would head across the river into Wisconsin and hit as many fish fries that he could find. 4-5 fish fries was not unusual for them. And most fish fries were all you could eat, so they would regain their desire for more fish between the different locations!! Lou was an awesome person and was an honor for me to call him my friend. He will be missed by many. Keith Richter"
"I met Louie when his wife Jeannie and I went to school at St.Teresa?s.He was a fun living man who adored Jeannie.He lived across from the College which was convenient for house parties and we all had alit of fun.zlouie lived to cook and shop.His wife did not like shopping but Lou did.He lived basketball and many other sports.He was the rock in that family and a loving kind friend to all.May you meet all that have passed before you.Eventually we will all be there.RIp sweet Lou. Lorrie Jergenson"