Jim Henry

Democrat sports editor

Monk Bonasorte - Florida State's popular Senior Associate Director of Athletics – has died after a battle with brain cancer.

He was 59.

Bonasorte, whose life revolved around Seminole athletics as a former football All-American, Hall of Fame member and president and executive director of the university’s Varsity Club, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in October 2015.

Former FSU teammate and roommate David Hanks was with Bonasorte and his family Saturday evening when Bonasorte passed around 10:45 p.m.

Bonasorte was admitted into Tallahassee Hospice 24 hours earlier.

"It was a privilege that we were able to be with him," said Hanks, involved in ministry work.

"He didn't struggle. Everything was very peaceful. The family is holding up. They are experiencing the pains of death but they were also rejoicing because they know he's in heaven."

Bonasorte and his wife, Beverly, have two sons, T.J. and Rocky.

FSU baseball coach Mike Martin, out of town Saturday morning, returned to Tallahassee Saturday afternoon to visit Bonasorte and his family.

"He's such a good guy, such a good guy," Martin said.

"You talk about a fighter, good gosh. He kept fighting, he kept fighting until the end and fought that disease."

As a player at FSU, Bonasorte earned All-America Third-Team honors in 1979 by the Associated Press and All-America Second Team honors from Football News in 1980.

He ranks second in school history with 15 interceptions while his eight interceptions in 1979 ranks as the second highest single season total in school history.

Bonasorte was inducted into the Seminoles’ Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995.

In media post Sunday morning, T.J. Bonasorte posted the news about his father:

This isn't easy to say but I lost my role model, inspiration and more importantly my father tonight. His battle with cancer ended after 1+ year but I wouldn't consider it a lost battle. Throughout this I got to learn more about Monk the hard worker, the leader, and the father. He loved everything about Florida State University, from the coaching staff, the administrators, to the players he treated them like family and made them feel at home. Thanks Dad for all of the memories we shared.

In a previous interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, Bonasorte talked about his fight against the disease.

“The cancer is not the hard part, it’s the side effects of all the medication that’s crazy,” Bonasorte said.

“It plays a lot of mind games on you. But we are fine. We are going to continue to fight, and fight hard. God is on our side. We are pushing it and fighting it.”

Bonasorte joined the FSU athletics department executive staff in 2008.

Hanks said people were inspired by Bonasorte's resolve and spiritual strength during his ordeal.

"There is a scripture in one version of the Bible that says it all. Proverbs 18:24 says, 'There are friends who are friends, and there is a friend that is closer than a brother.' That was Monk," Hanks said.

FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Stan Wilcox released the following statement:



"I am heart-broken to share the news that Monk has passed, Monk was a loyal, dependable giant of an athletics administrator whose hard work and dedication to Florida State and Florida State Athletics extended into the larger FSU and collegiate athletics communities.



"Monk was a devoted, highly-respected athletics staff member who was beloved by all who came to know him. He spoke as an alumnus, a former football student-athlete, an FSU Hall of Fame student-athlete (#42) and a passionate administrator who worked tirelessly to make Florida State athletics the best that it could be.



"His strength, experience and courage were invaluable. FSU may have lost one of its brightest stars but the legacy that Monk leaves will endure in all of our hearts and minds forever."

FSU football coach Jimbo Fisher's statement:

"Nobody cared more about Florida State University and its student-athletes than Monk. He dedicated his life to Florida State and was a pillar of strength for our football program during the last year. Monk was a tremendous administrator who I was lucky to work closely with from the time I arrived here. Most importantly, Monk was a great friend and he will truly be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Beverly, his two sons, T.J. and Rocky, and the rest of his family.'



