UPDATE: Joseph Bondi Funeral Service Scheduled Jan. 20

Update (Jan. 9, 4 p.m.):

“A Celebration of Life” funeral service for former Temple Terrace Mayor Joseph C. Bondi Jr. will take place Jan. 20 at Christ Our Redeemer Lutheran Church at 2 p.m., according to a press release from the City of Temple Terrace.

Mayor Frank Chillura said he “joins the entire Temple Terrace community in expressing his deepest condolences and highest respect for former Mayor Bondi,” the release states.

Bondi died peacefully on Jan. 8 at Melech Hospice House in Temple Terrace after a six-month battle with leukemia, family members said in the release. He was 76.

He is survived by his wife, Patsy, and their three children: Pam, Beth and Brad.

The release states that Bondi served on the Temple Terrace City Council from November 1970 through 1974, then served two 2-year terms as mayor, from November 1974 to November 1978, according to the Temple Terrace City Clerk’s office. He also served as the first chairman of the Hillsborough County Council of Governments.

Bondi was a professor of education at the University of South Florida for 38 years, the release states. He also served as an elementary, middle and high school teacher and administrator prior to joining the faculty at USF. He authored more than 30 textbooks in education, including leading texts in curriculum, instruction, supervision and school administration.

After retiring from USF, Bondi worked as an educational consultant, according to the release. In recent years, he and his family split their time between residences in Temple Terrace and Longboat Key.

“Dr. Bondi was a greatly respected pioneer in Temple Terrace government and a true friend of the entire Temple Terrace community,” the release states. “He will be sorely missed.”

Earlier:

Former Temple Terrace Mayor Joseph C. Bondi Jr. died Tuesday at the age of 76.

His daughter, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, announced the news on her Facebook page Wednesday morning.

"My beautiful Daddy went to Heaven yesterday," she wrote. "He was surrounded by all his family. He fought a great fight with Leukemia. Thanks for all of your prayers and support. We are so heartbroken but comforted to know he is with our Lord. Please continue to pray for my family during this most difficult time in our lives."

Joseph Bondi served on the Temple Terrace City Council before being elected mayor in 1974. He served as mayor until 1978. He was also a professor at the University of South Florida.

Pam Bondi grew up in Temple Terrace and was elected as Florida’s Attorney General in 2010 after serving as Hillsborough County assistant state attorney.

Her Facebook post has generated nearly 400 comments.

"So sorry Pam," wrote Janeen-Lamar Stokes. "He truly is beautiful inside and out. He loved and was so proud of his family. I was blessed to be his student at USF."

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