Col. George B Boniface Jr.

Col. George B. Boniface, Jr., USAF, 86, husband of Claudette Boniface, passed away Tuesday, May 27, 2025.

Col. Boniface was born in Washington, D.C., son of the late George B. Boniface and Alice R. Myers. He attended schools in Washington and surrounding Maryland suburbs, graduating from Suitland High School, Maryland in 1956. He later attended University of Maryland, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force upon his graduation. He proceeded to Air Force Pilot Training in Big Spring, Texas, earning his pilot wings in August 1966 and was assigned to McDill AFB in Tampa, Florida, to train in his first career operational aircraft, the F4V - Phantom Fighter-Bomber, where he met his wife, the former Claudette M. Charron, of Montreal, Quebec.

Following assignments in Germany and New Mexico, he was transferred to the Southeast Asia conflict in Vietnam. During the next 39 months, he flew 187 combat missions in the F4C Aircraft; trained and qualified as a B52D Aircraft Commander and flew another 177 combat missions.

At the conclusion of his combat tours, he earned a master’s degree from Louisiana Tech University while performing in a succession of multiple organization levels of Air Force staff and command positions, interrupted by his selection, attendance and graduation from the Naval War College. He retired in 1992, after his final assignment as a senior officer on the Battle Staff convened to coordinate the deployment of American forces to the Middle East to confront the Iraqi Army invading Kuwait.

Recognition of his significant service achievements are contained in the citations accompanying the awards of 22 Air Medals for single acts of meritorious achievements while participating in areal flights, four Distinguished Flying Crosses, for distinguishing himself by heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in areal flights during his combat tours. Upon retirement he was awarded the Legion of Merit, a military decoration of the United States armed forces awarded to senior officers for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.

He relocated to Charleston, SC, and was hired by Charleston County Government. He retired from the County as Director, Department of Revenue Collections, the position he held after 17 years of service.

Surviving are his wife, Claudette Boniface; daughters, Nina Boniface and Renee Swayze (son-in-law James Swayze) of Salt Lake City, UT; granddaughters, Tara Janzen (grandson-in-law Travis Janzen) of Denver, CO, and Julianne Donaldson (grandson-in-law Aidan Donaldson) of Parker, CO; sister, Sharon Black (brother-in-law Robert); sister-in-law, Pat Wood, of Murrells Inlet, SC.

A funeral service with full military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on February 6, 2026 at 11 am for family and close friends.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds,-and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of-wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air ....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew-

And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

John Gillespie Magee, Jr.