BERNARDY, Benjamin V. 1926-2014

BERNARDY, MCCOLE, ARELLANO, BRUGMAN, MURPHY

Posted By: S. Bell
Date: 1/4/2015 at 23:54:23

[Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Thursday, June 12, 2014]

Benjamin V. Bernardy Sr. passed away peacefully on June 8, 2014, in San Diego. He was born Jan. 11, 1926, in Gilbertville, to Martin and Loretta Bernardy.

He graduated from St. Mary’s High School, Waterloo, in 1944. In the same year he was drafted into the U.S. Navy, where he proudly served his country for 26 years, retiring as a lieutenant. He took great pride in becoming one of the Navy’s first Master Chiefs. Ben enjoyed attending many of the reunions of the USS Coral Sea. After retiring from the Navy, he earned an AA degree with honors in business management.

He was an active member of St. Michael Catholic Church since 1962 and the Knights of Columbus. He always had fun socializing with the “Old Farts.”

Ben married Helen McCole on April 28, 1951. Helen preceded Ben in death in 1989. He was a loving husband and family man, and is survived by his children, Peg Bernardy (Refugio) Arellano of Los Angeles, and Cathy (Paul) Brugman, Ben (Carrie) Bernardy Jr., Martin Bernardy and Chuck (Becky) Bernardy, all of San Diego. He had 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Gina Bernardy and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were two brothers, one sister and four stepchildren.

At a class reunion in Iowa, he became reacquainted with a high school classmate, Bettie Murphy. They married in December 1990 and he gained 10 stepchildren, 21 stepgrandchildren and 23 stepgreat-grandchildren. They have had 24 wonderful years together and as Bettie often says, “He showed me the world.”

Viewing will be at The Little Lodge at Glen Abbey, 3838 Bonita Road, Bonita, Calif., from 5 to 8 p.m. The vigil services will be at 6:30 p.m. followed immediately by the rosary, both on Thursday, June 12. Mass celebrating Ben’s life will be held on Friday, June 13, at 9:15 a.m. at St. Michael Catholic Church, 2643 Homedale St., San Diego. Internment will immediately follow at Glen Abbey. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Helen Bernardy Center for Medically Fragile Children, c/o Rady Children’s Hospital, 3020 Children’s Way, M C 5005, San Diego, CA 92123.

Black Hawk Obituaries maintained by Karen De Groote.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen