Obituary of Bonnie Mae Lees Cromack
Bonnie Mae Lees Cromack, a pioneer in the perfusion community, died in Houston on December 23, 2022 at the age of 82.
Bonnie was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was the youngest child of Frederick Wilhelm Lees and Ethel Almeda Lees. Her father passed away when she was young and her mother later married Harry David Lees.
Bonnie graduated from John Harris High School in 1958 and then earned a degree in nursing from Harrisburg Polyclinic Hospital School of Nursing in 1961. She and several friends, including Marie R. Sheffer, made the cross-country journey of 1,500 miles to start working as registered nurses in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.
In the sixties, Houston was known for its two world renowned cardiovascular surgeons, Michael E. DeBakey, MD and Denton A. Cooley, MD. Bonnie started working as a perfusionist for DeBakey and Cooley at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in 1968. The perfusionist was a vital part of the operating team working the heart-lung bypass machine. She was only one of a few perfusionists to work for both DeBakey and Cooley in Houston.
During this period, Bonnie received recognition from her hometown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania newspaper as well as Time Life Magazine for a surgery in which she operated the heart lung machine in the successful implanting of an artificial heart.
When DeBakey and Cooley split in 1969, Bonnie went to work with DeBakey at The Methodist Hospital. Bonnie returned to St. Luke’s/Texas Heart Institute (THI) in 1986. It was at the THI School of Perfusion Technology where she met many of her lifelong friends. She remained on staff until her retirement in 2012.
Bonnie was a Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) by the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion and at her retirement her status was Emeritus. During her 27 years as a perfusionist at THI, she and her team participated in approximately 61,000 open heart procedures and trained over 500 perfusion students who now work throughout the US.
Bonnie was recognized for her dedication to her patients and students she taught as well as for her long, distinguished career. Bonnie was well known in her field for working alongside some of the most famous heart surgeons in the world in an era of technological advancement in cardiovascular medicine.
Bonnie cherished her time with her husband, Dan, and their family and friends. She loved attending their grandchildren’s soccer, baseball and football games. Bonnie enjoyed vacations with the Henson family to the South Padre Island beach house and tubing the Comal River in New Braunfels. She also enjoyed ski vacations to Colorado and taking cruises with her family. Taking trips back to Pennsylvania to see her parents were always memorable.
Bonnie began each day with a walk down the tree-lined streets of Boulevard Oaks. She and Dan never missed an opportunity to attend the annual Boulevard Oaks 4th of July picnic. She also liked to garden at her home of 53 years, and she never missed an opportunity to babysit the family dog, Riley.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents, Frederick and Ethel Lees; stepfather, Harry David Lees, and brother, Donald Lees.
Bonnie is survived by her loving husband of 54 years, Dan Cromack; her son, David Cromack of Houston, her daughter, Ashley McClellan and husband, Chris, of The Woodlands; her grandchildren include Sara Cate Cromack of Houston, Jackson McClellan and Colton McClellan of the Woodlands. Additional survivors are her sister-in-law, Nancy Henson, and husband, Charles, of Wimberley, Texas; as well as numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Texas.
A private viewing was held by the family and a Celebration of Life will take place at a future date where family and friends can gather to commemorate her.
Those wishing to honor Bonnie’s memory may make a donation designated to the Sal Guercio Memorial Scholarship Fund through the Texas Heart Institute donation page.