Robert ‘Bob’ Earl Bonwell

Jan. 17, 1944-April 2, 2020

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Robert “Bob” Earl Bonwell, 76, of Indianapolis passed away Thursday, April 2, 2020.

Born Jan. 17, 1944, to the late Robert P. and Lucile (Gentry) Bonwell of Crawfordsville. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Susanne Bonwell.

Bob graduated from Crawfordsville High School in ’62. He was a star hurdler and played football and basketball. He attended IU and later graduated from both the Indiana School of Mortuary Science and the Indiana State Police Academy. In 1984, Bob purchased a small carpet cleaning business in Indianapolis and grew it into a full service cleaning and restoration distributorship known today as Advantage - Experts in Clean. He was known throughout the disaster restoration industry for his innovative re-design of the standard box truck bringing improved efficiencies to restoration contractors.

Bob’s motto was “You Can’t Outperform Your Knowledge.” He believed in self-improvement and education driving him to work with colleagues and Purdue University to help develop a degree program in disaster restoration.

Other survivors include: daughters, Kristen Bonwell and Kari Jackson; son Michael (Erin) Bonwell; five grandchildren; and sister Susie (Bill) Main.

Due to the pandemic a celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Gifts in memory of Bob to the Robert Bonwell Scholarship Endowment for Restoration and Reconstruction in Construction Management Technology should be made to Purdue Foundation and mailed to: Purdue Foundation, Dauch Alumni Center, 403 West Wood, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2007.

Online condolences may be made at flannerbuchanan.com. Arrangements entrusted to Flanner Buchanan-Washington Park North.


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