Edward Gerow Bond

December 20, 1908 - June 02, 2009

Edward Gerow Bond Obituary Passed away in Spokane with family at his side on June 2, 2009. Ed was born in Hanford, California, in December 1908 to Charles Lester Bond and Gladys Gerow Bond. His childhood was spent in several places due to the extensive travel of his father, a Seventh-day Adventist minister. His early education was equally varied, beginning with home-schooling by his mother and ending with his high-school graduation from Glendale Union Academy in 1926. After one year at Pacific Union College and two at Columbia Union College - still somewhat befuddled about what course to pursue - Ed spent a year working for a cement contractor in the Washington, D.C., area. Having decisively ruled out a career in cement, he returned to CUC, completed his degree, and attended medical school at the College of Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda University). Beginning in 1936, he had a long and successful career in family medicine, which included practices in Priest River, ID; Newport, WA; and Spokane, WA. During WWII, he served as an "Essential Physician" in northern Idaho and was awarded a signed certificate of Meritorious service from President Truman. Family life was even more important to Ed than his distinguished career. He married Bernice Casey in the summer of 1933. Six years later, their only child, Robert, was born in Newport. Ed had many interests and hobbies. He loved beauty, especially musical and natural beauty. He played both saxophone and piano - the latter, with remarkable agility, late in life and with extremely arthritic hands. A lover of animals, birds, flowers, mountains, and lakes, he was an avid hiker, water skier, and fisherman. For decades he owned a cabin on Priest Lake, where he accumulated innumerable happy memories with his wife, son, daughter-in-law, three granddaughters, and many friends. Ed was an accomplished tennis player and golfer, with four holes-in-one to his credit and the honor of having shot his age of 85 in 1993. He was an enthusiastic Seventh-day Adventist and a charter member of the South Hill Adventist Church in Spokane. Dr. Bond was preceded in death by his parents and several beloved canine companions. He is survived by Bernice, his wife of nearly 76 years; son, Bob; daughter-in-law, Georgene (Thompson); granddaughters and their husbands, Karlyn (Ron Solbrig), Kori (Scott Anderson), Kellie (Paul Johnson); and great-grandson, Leif Kieran Bond Anderson. A memorial service will occur at the South Hill Adventist Church on Saturday, June 20, at 2:30 p.m. Please do not send flowers. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Spokane Junior Academy, 1888 North Wright Dr., Spokane, WA 99224.