Claude Bernard Bonang Brunswick Native, Son of Bowdoin, Maine Renaissance Man BRUNSWICK - Claude Bernard Bonang, 95, a native of Brunswick, Maine, and lifelong resident of the town, passed away on February 21, 2026. Claude was born on July 18, 1930, to Frederick and Marie (Theriault) Bonang, as the seventh of nine children, with six sisters and two brothers. Claude was blessed to be part of a closely-knit, loving family steeped in the Catholic faith. The family home at 9 Bowker Street had a wrap-around porch, abutted Bowdoin College's Whittier Field (home to the Polar Bear's football team), and was the meeting place for the Bonang children's wide group of friends. The Bowdoin campus was their playground. Claude attended elementary and junior high school at St. John's School. He graduated from Brunswick High School (1948), where he played on the varsity basketball and baseball teams and was Class President as a sophomore and junior. Claude and his baseball teammates were Eastern Maine Class A Champions in 1948, before losing by a run, 3-2, to South Portland in the State Championship game before a large crowd at Bowdoin's Pickard Field. That day, Claude led off for the Dragons, went 2-for-4, scored a run, and handled all eight defensive chances flawlessly from his second base position. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Bowdoin College (1952), where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, making lifelong friends, before graduating Summa Cum Laude. He went on to receive a National Science Foundation Scholarship and earned a Master of Education degree in Teaching Biology from Stanford University (1959). Claude's professional life was a 40-year love letter to the natural world. Whether he was at Lisbon High School, Paris American High School in France, Brunswick High School, or the University of Southern Maine, he did not just teach biology—he lived it. In 1967, he was named the Maine and New England Biology Teacher of the Year, followed later by Bowdoin's Distinguished Educator Award in 1987. Yet, for Claude, the true reward was not the plaques on the wall; it was the "aha!" moment in a student's eyes. He was a marine biologist by training and a philosopher by nature. An exacting mentor, he held his students to the same high standards he set for himself, fostering an environment where discovery was earned through rigorous exploration. This dedication bore fruit long after the school year ended: many of his AP Biology students became leaders in science and medicine, maintaining a lifelong correspondence with "Mr. Bonang" that brought him immense pride and joy. Claude's curiosity did not take summer vacations. In the early 1970s, he traded the chalkboard for the New Meadows River, leading, with his students' assistance, the first state-funded study of oyster aquaculture, a project that effectively laid the groundwork for today's growing Casco Bay oyster industry. From the labs of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute to the Roswell Park Cancer Research Institute, Claude remained a "student of life," always eager to contribute to the greater scientific good before returning to the classroom to share what he had found. In retirement, Claude set the standard by productively making the most of his free time. He participated in Masters Swimming and was nationally ranked for his age group. He wrote and self-published books written in verse on his memories of his family and growing up in Brunswick on Bowdoin's campus. The stories include many applicable life lessons sorely needed in today's world. He expanded on his abilities as a musician, leveraging the skills he learned from his uncle Pat Theriault as a six-year-old in playing the bones and the spoons. He learned the piano, harmonica, guitar, saw, and a slew of other "oddball" instruments. He also dabbled in art, painting for a time, but focused more on "Marine Motifs," making shells, starfish and other ocean creatures come to life in human pursuits. Claude loved to connect with others through his artistic gifts. During a period when many of his lifelong friends were passing away, Claude embraced technology. He worked in person and online to expand his circle of friends, corresponding for many years with hundreds of people of all ages simultaneously. Claude's greatest joy was his family. As he reached adulthood, his aunt Anna Theriault told him about a neighbor of hers in Westbrook, Ann Twombly, whom she thought would be a perfect match for him. Ann was close friends with her daughter and Claude's cousin, Patricia (Theriault) Caron. Claude reached out to Ann, and they began dating. Unbeknownst to Claude, Aunt Anna had been telling Ann for years that her nephew would be the perfect match for her. Claude and Ann were married on February 16, 1962, and recently celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary. Their partnership of caring for each other was an example for all those around them. Claude was predeceased by his parents, and his siblings and their spouses: Melba Bonang, Annette Bonang, Raymond Bonang and his wife Eleanore (Fournier) Bonang, Theodora (Bonang) Dewar and her husband Joseph Dewar, Alden Bonang and his wife Emelda (Langlais) Bonang, Ella (Bonang) Caron and her husband Dr. Laurel Caron, and his brother-in-law, Adolphe "Doc" Gingras. He was also predeceased by his nephews James Marchildon, Dwight Bonang, and Ralph Dewar, and nieces Elizabeth (Bonang) Tardif and Mary Jane (Dewar) Armstrong. In addition to his wife, Ann (Twombly) Bonang of Brunswick, Maine, Claude is survived by his son Timothy Bonang and his wife Courtney (Kubacki) Bonang of Natick, MA, and his son Christopher Bonang of San Diego, CA. Claude instilled a deep love of sports in both his sons, including a steadfast devotion to the fundamentals and the importance of team success over individual accomplishments. For his 80th birthday, his sons took Claude to South Bend, IN, to watch a Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Fighting Irish football game. He was proud that both of his sons played college basketball: Tim at Colby College and Chris at Stanford University. Two grandchildren also survive him: Ainsley Bonang (a recent Colby graduate and teacher in Greenwich, CT) and Payton Bonang (a second-year student at the University of Toronto, currently studying in Auckland, New Zealand). Claude was most proud of his grandchildren and supported and cultivated their academic, artistic, and athletic pursuits. He is also survived by his sister Louise (Bonang) Marchildon and her husband Donald Marchildon, and his sister Lorraine (Bonang) Gingras, all of Manchester, Maine. As the three youngest siblings in a large family, Claude shared a special bond with Louise and Lorraine. Claude is also survived by 21 nieces and nephews and many friends, all of whom he loved deeply. Claude delighted in the good fortune and accomplishments of his family and friends and was quick to share any good news about them with others. The Bonang family acknowledges the excellent care Claude received in recent months from Dr. Amy Etzweiler, MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital, Aging Excellence, Thornton Hall, Tailored Care, and CHANs Hospice. Claude was also lucky to have wonderful neighbors in the Meadowbrook Two neighborhood of Brunswick who looked out for him in his declining years, with special thanks to the Carroll, Hendrickson, and Stott families. Claude was a long-time communicant of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. Visitation will be held at Stetson's Funeral Home, 12 Federal Street, Brunswick, Maine, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 132 McKeen Street, Brunswick, Maine, on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with Claude's nephew and godson, Monsignor Marc Caron as the principal celebrant along with Fr. Phil Tracy as the concelebrant. To view the live streaming of Claude's mass visit the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EqrVNFTAWU Interment will be in the Spring at St. Hyacinthe's Cemetery in Westbrook. You can celebrate and remember Claude in your daily life in the following ways. Eat a lobster roll, enjoy a scoop (or two) of chocolate ice cream, or drink a mug of root beer with a family member or a friend. Claude was all in on lobster, chocolate ice cream, and root beer, anywhere and at any time. You can also visit and "like" one of his many musical performances on YouTube by searching "Claude Bonang." Claude was a lifelong learner. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Brunswick Area Student Aid Fund, P.O. Box 867, Brunswick, ME 04011 (checks payable to "BASAF"). The Fund's primary mission is to award scholarships to eligible high school graduates who pursue post-secondary education. In remembrance of Claude, we invite you to share your fondest memories and photographs on his memorial page www.stetsonsfuneralhome.com Let us celebrate his life and the love he had for his family, his students, and his community. Remembering him may bring a tear to your eyes, but more so, it will bring a smile to your heart, just as Claude would have wanted. Arrangements and guidance are in the care of Stetson's Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 12 Federal Street, Brunswick, Maine.