Ibrey Thomas “Ted” Bonnette,88, of Beaumont died Sunday, April 16, 2006 at his residence. He was born October 30, 1917 in Sycamore, Louisiana and moved to Beaumont in 1928.
As a youngster and teenager, he worked as a paper boy carrying two newspapers, The Beaumont Enterprise and The Journal. He graduated from French High School in 1935, attended Lamar University for two years, and then attended Texas A&M receiving his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1940. Ibrey worked for subsidiaries of Humble Oil and was an exploration geophysicist at the time of his Exxon retirement in Houston. He retired and moved to Beaumont in 1981. His service in oil production and exploration carried him through a number of southern and western states in the United States and into foreign services in Venezuela and Columbia.
Ibrey was a strong Christian who was active in the Baptist church wherever he went as a Sunday school teacher, youth sponsor and Sunday school Superintendent or Deacon.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Brett Bonnette; sister Lillian Sledge of Dallas; brother, Irley Bonnette of Tyler; and a number of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Polly and David Bonnette; three sisters, Ninevah Burnett, Ural Smith and Medra Terrell; three brothers, Shelby, Elbrey and Aubrey Bonnette.
Funeral services will be 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive with burial to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. A gathering of family and friends will begin 10:00 A.M. Wednesday morning until service time.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Beaumont Library Fund, 900 Calder, Beaumont, Texas 77701.
