Marshall "Bing" Bourbonais, 76, who had resided at Maple Manor Nursing Center in Ontonagon for the past 4 years, was released from the bonds of Alzheimer disease when God took him home on March 26, 2008.

Bing was born on October 1, 1931, in Houghton, MI, the son of the late Alvin and Dorothea Bourbonais. Bing, a graduate of Houghton High School, was known as the "Houghton Wildcat" playing running back in football, and was also avid in basketball and track. Because he sang like Bing Crosby while in the high school glee club, they called him "Bing", and that wonderful singing voice and the nickname stuck with him throughout his life. Graduating from high school in 1949, the caption under his yearbook picture read, "An unextinguished laughter shakes the skies."

He served in the Air Force during the Korean War, where, while stationed in Tokyo, Japan, he met and married his wife, Kiyo "Kitty" Hattori. This past March 20th marked their 55th wedding anniversary, and, although Bing has now passed on to his home in Heaven, their love will never end.

After the war, Bing worked at the White Pine Copper Company for a number of years until his retirement. He was active in softball and was a charter member of the Ontonagon Sports Booster Club. Two of his greatest joys in life were golfing, belonging to the men's golf league, and singing and playing the guitar whenever he had a chance, playing at a few popular night spots around town or having a "jam-session" with his singing buddies. Bing and Kitty were the "ballroom dancers" of Ontonagon Countya