Obituary: Frank S. Bonura, MD

In Memoriam Frank S. Bonura, MD

Frank S. Bonura, MDSmithtown, New York, November 2, 2024 - Frank Bonura, MD, beloved physician who touched countless lives in more than five decades of providing healthcare to Long Island women, died on October 31, 2024 after a brief illness. His energy was boundless, his knowledge endless and his dedication to his patients unparalleled. Maintaining his Smithtown medical practice for 55 years, Dr. Bonura was happiest when treating patients, which he did well into his eighth decade.

Born in Queens, New York, Dr. Bonura served in the United States Air Force Reserves, achieving the rank of Captain. He earned his medical degree at the University of Rome and completed a rotating internship, following by a residency in obstetrical and gynecological pathology at The Brooklyn Hospital. Dr. Bonura also completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at The Brooklyn Cumberland Medical Center.

Shortly thereafter, he and his wife, Lenith (Leni) moved to Smithtown, where he established a solo OB-GYN practice. Over the next 35 years, he would deliver close to 10,000 babies, often caring for multiple generations of women and delivering the babies of women whom he had delivered.

In 1978, Dr. Bonura joined the academic staff at Stony Brook School of Medicine, as an associate professor teaching obstetrics and gynecology. In 1979, he was named Chairman and Director of OB-GYN at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, a position he continued to hold after the hospital became known as St. Catherine of Siena Hospital. He established the osteoporosis program at St. Catherine’s in 1998.

He stopped delivering babies in 2004, and shifted the focus of his OB-GYN practice to caring for women before and during menopause. In his typical style, he devoted himself to becoming an expert in this field by attending national meetings dedicated to menopause, reading the latest studies on the topic, and eventually writing articles and a textbook chapter on menopause. 

In 2018 Dr. Bonura was named director of menopausal health and osteoporosis at St. Catherine. As one of the only physicians in the region to be certified by the North American Menopause Society, Dr. Bonura was passionate about helping women navigate the symptoms that commonly appear at this stage of life. 

When Covid-19 struck, he continued to treat patients, adding telehealth to his repertoire. He also began hosting monthly educational lectures on Zoom to share his vast knowledge about a range of common women’s health topics: weight management, urinary tract infections, breast cancer, vaginal symptoms, hot flashes, and more. More recently he began offering remote educational lectures to women through the Huntington library system. 

Dr. Bonura was as committed to his own health as he was to his patients’. He regularly played tennis, lifted weights, practiced yoga and took spinning classes. He credited his wife, Leni, with keeping him in good shape by feeding him a healthy Mediterranean diet, which he recommended to his patients. 

In addition to his wife of more than 55 years, he is survived by two sons: Frank (James Pollock) Bonura and Christopher Bonura.

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 8, from 2 – 4 pm and 7 – 9 pm at the Branch Funeral Home in Smithtown. Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, November 9 at 9:45 am at St. Patrick’s RC Church in Smithtown with interment to follow at St. Patrick’s Cemetery.