Bonville's legacy will live on

There are few people who have had a more profound impact on the Cape Region’s youth than Diaz Bonville. The man who spent so much time giving back to his community died Sept. 14, leaving a legacy that will last for decades to come. 

A Sussex County native, Bonville co-founded the West Rehoboth Children and Youth Program and was the president of West Side New Beginnings. The goal was to steer children in the right direction, and away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco. When established in 2002, the after-school youth program focused on ensuring kids had proper nutrition, worked on their school studies, stayed active and built self-esteem. The program continued to grow throughout the years. Bonville just wanted to give kids a chance. 

“We tell our children where they live does not dictate what they will become, and other people do not decide their future,” Bonville wrote in a 2022 commentary celebrating the program’s 20th anniversary. “They decide their own habits; then their habits decide what their future holds.”

Through his work, generations of students were equipped with the life and educational skills to attend and graduate from colleges and universities. And, that wasn’t even his day job. 

After attending Cape Henlopen High School and Delaware Technical & Community College, Bonville worked for many years at Indian River School District. He was constantly in the lives of kids. Whether elementary school students or those in high school, his goal was to always help put children in the position to be the best they could be. 

When a group came together to start a new school in the name of Milton native and civil rights activist Bryan Stevenson, Bonville was right there to help again. This time he served as a founding board member and community outreach coordinator. That’s just who he was. 

Bonville’s lasting legacy will be one of kindness, selflessness and collaboration. He not only improved the lives of the children he worked with, but also made all of the Cape Region better.