Bonaventure Senior Living spotlights veteran residents across Oregon and Washington

Bonaventure Senior Living is marking Veterans Day by highlighting six residents across four communities in Oregon and Washington who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard. Their stories span postwar service, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and the Oklahoma City bombing, underscoring the role veterans still play inside senior living communities.

Why it matters: - Bonaventure Senior Living is using Veterans Day to recognize residents whose service spans multiple branches, wars and generations. - The stories show how veteran residents remain central to community life inside Bonaventure’s Oregon and Washington properties. - The recognition also reflects the growing need for senior living communities to understand and honor residents’ military backgrounds.

What happened: - Bonaventure Senior Living highlighted six veteran residents living in four communities in Salem, Keizer, Lake Oswego and Lacey. - The residents served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard. - Their service stretches from the years after World War II into the 1990s. - Bonaventure said the veterans’ experiences range from Alaska winters at 64 below zero to the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. - Chloe Gray, Bonaventure Senior Living’s sales and marketing director, said Veterans Day is the company’s chance to listen to residents’ stories and thank them across its communities.

The details: - Carol Bova-Rice of Bonaventure of Salem grew up on a farm in Grants Pass and later followed her husband into the Air Force. - Bova-Rice built a career in medical logistics and retired as a superintendent and senior master sergeant after 12 years in Germany and eight in Texas. - In Germany, Bova-Rice helped build a 750-bed contingency hospital in Donaueschingen that was never activated. - Bova-Rice was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base on April 19, 1995, when the Oklahoma City bombing occurred. - Bova-Rice used sign language to help survivors and gathered ponchos and supplies for workers at the scene. - Bova-Rice has lived at Bonaventure of Salem for seven years and helps plan the community’s Veterans Day recognition each year. - On Nov. 10, Bova-Rice led a flag ceremony with a Junior ROTC color guard, and each veteran in the community received a certificate. - Larry Wasson of Bonaventure at Keizer Station served in the Army during the Vietnam era as a specialist 4th class and drove for his commanding officer. - Wasson was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, from 1965 to 1967, where he spent two winters and experienced temperatures from 64 below zero to 86 degrees in summer. - Daryl Chappel served four years in the Marine Corps and 20 years in the Army, including as a platoon sergeant in the Vietnam War. - Chappel’s decorations include two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars. - Chappel said the military helped him communicate with people. - Chappel remains active with the VFW and the American Legion. - Alan Takayama served in both the Army and the Navy during the Cold War and rose to E-9 as a sergeant major in charge of storekeepers. - Takayama served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the late 1980s and took part in operations to protect oil platforms in the Persian Gulf. - Ed Thompson, 96, volunteered for the Navy in the years after World War II. - Thompson served as a petty officer leading a squad of sailors in the Pacific, with stops in Hawaii and Japan. - Thompson still keeps photographs from his service and a star medallion he received for leadership. - Thompson has lived at Oswego Place by Bonaventure for two years. - Thompson said he enlisted because it was something he knew he should do and that it felt right. - Bob Gates of Bonaventure of Lacey served three years in the Army and two and a half years in the National Guard. - After basic training at Fort Carson, Gates was assigned to Fort Lewis as a private first class and company armorer. - Gates later became a chef, spending most of his career at Seattle’s Andy’s Diner. - Gates said cooking dinner for John Wayne was one of his proudest moments. - Gates played Santa Claus for 23 years and said his best memory was bringing joy to children. - Gates remains active in the American Legion and the Masonic lodge in Cinebar. - Gates sells popcorn each year to raise scholarship money for high school seniors. - In 2025, Gates flew over Thurston County in a restored World War II-era open-cockpit biplane through Dream Flights. - Bonaventure of Salem is at 3411 Boone Road SE in Salem. - Bonaventure at Keizer Station is at 5525 McLeod Lane NE in Keizer. - Oswego Place by Bonaventure is at 17450 Pilkington Road in Lake Oswego. - Bonaventure of Lacey is at 4528 Intelco Loop SE in Lacey. - Each of the four communities offers retirement living, assisted living and memory care.

Between the lines: - The profiles lean into a theme of service that continued after the military, whether through community volunteering, family life, food service, civic groups or seasonal outreach. - Bonaventure is positioning veteran recognition as part of resident culture, not just a one-day observance. - The range of military eras and branches gives the company a broad cross-section of postwar American service inside its communities.

What's next: - Bonaventure will continue Veterans Day recognition across its communities as residents share more service stories. - The company says its communities are built around personalized care plans and meaningful connections for older adults. - More information is available in the company’s announcement.