Angelo J. "Bernie " Bernardini

In todays society, material possessions tend to be a benchmark to measure a mans success. Too many times the simpler qualities, such as faith, dedication to family and hard work are easily overlooked when judging a mans character. Angelo Bernardini was not someone consumed by material gains in life but by the satisfaction of putting his family first and doing the best job he could with whatever task was at hand. Angelo was born at Mercy Hospital in Muskegon, Michigan on September 1, 1931, during a difficult time in American history, the Great Depression. Despite the economic hardships of the era, his parents, Pasquale and Amelia (Papucci) Bernardini, both Italian immigrants, provided a healthy and stable home for him and his two sisters, Mary and Angela. They grew up in the predominately Italian neighborhood of Jackson Hill in Muskegon, and received their education in the area schools. Because Angelo spoke only Italian at home, he had to learn English in school, which was hard for him at first so he had to repeat Kindergarten at Froebel Elementary School. When it came to his leisure time, Angelo enjoyed reading, fishing and staging mock Olympic track and field events with his cousins Bob Gianetti and Bert Faino, as well as playing countless games of Monopoly with Dave Hartsema. The Bernardini family were devout, lifetime members of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, and this strong Catholic upbringing would always be an important part of Angelos life. As he looked to his future, Angelo was inspired by his family doctor, who encouraged him to study math and science. After graduating from Muskegon High in 1950, he entered Muskegon Community College, and went on to Western Michigan University, where he earned his B.S. in 1954 and his Masters in 1959. Angelos parents were so very proud of him for he was the first person in their family to graduate from college. Along with his studies, Angelo also worked odd jobs to earn some money including for Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Demuros Grocery, in the celery flats, and at Shaw Walker. In 1956, Angelo embarked on a 35-year career at Reeths Puffer High School as a Math teacher. In addition, he also served as Class Advisor to its first graduating class. Outside of school, Angelo also worked at H Block from 1979 to 2006, and taught at Muskegon Community College for many years. He eventually retired from teaching in 1993. The same year Angelo started teaching, he also met the love of his life, Judy Hasse, at a Catholic singles function. Over the next couple of years, their love for each other blossomed and they were happily married on August 23, 1958, at Judys church, St. Jeans. After a romantic honeymoon at Niagara Falls, Angelo and Judy settled into married life together in a home they rented on Marquette Avenue. It wasnt long before the couple began a family of their own and over the next several years they welcomed five wonderful children into their hearts and home - Mark (1959), Lisa (1960), Mary (1961), Laura (1963) and Annette (1970). In 1961, Angelo and Judy bought a home for their family at 770 Clark Street. In 1970, Angelo and a Reeths Puffer co-worker built a huge addition to the house to provide more room for the kids to grow. Like his parents, Angelo raised his children in the Catholic faith, and instilled in them his strong values of working hard and being responsible. In fact, he was notorious for saying, Never do a half-ass job. Time together as a family was also very important to Angelo and Judy, and they took many opportunities to camp up and down the Lake Michigan shoreline. They also enjoyed their trips to Florida and the Northeast. Closer to home, the family had a Friday night tradition of going to the Doo Drop Inn for a great perch dinner. In 1983, Angelo, Judy and Annette took a trip out west to California to visit their son, Mark, who lived there. Angelo was a fun-loving, sociable guy, whose happy-go-lucky demeanor and genuine smile won him many friends. He enjoyed getting together with his friends whenever possible, and once a month he played poker with his neighbors. He also enjoyed a good game of cribbage with anyone who dared to challenge him, and was a fan of the Detroit Tigers and Lions. Heartbreakingly, Angelo lost his beloved wife Judy very unexpectedly in 1984; she was only 49. He was truly devastated, but found great comfort in his family, especially his daughter, Annette, who lived with him for the next 6 years. Eventually, Angelo found longtime companionship with Donna Welch. They enjoyed traveling together and just having a great time. In 2004, Angelo, his 2 sisters, 3 nieces and daughter, Annette, all took an unforgettable trip to Italy, where they met for the first time many of their extended family. Angelo had kept up with his Italian all these years and felt right at home conversing with everyone. He loved this trip so much that in 2006, he took another trip to Italy this time with his son, Mark, and his family. Angelos greatest moments were spent with his family and friends. His grandchildren affectionately called him Grandpa Nonno. His family and vast array of friends were the people he shared his life with, and were the people he loved dearly. He will be greatly missed. Angelo J. Bernardini, age 76, died on Sunday, March 23, 2008. He is survived by his son, Mark (Dara France) Bernardini of CA; 4 daughters: Lisa (Rafie) Boghozian of TN, Mary (Paul Biernacki) Bernardini of VA, Laura Bernardini of NC & Annette (Patrick) Grimm of VA; 11 grandchildren: Caray, Adrianna, Jonathon, Andrew, Joseph, Benjamin, Nicolas, Gabriella, Evan, Maya 2 sisters, Mary Hester of Muskegon & Angela (Dave) Moulds of North Muskegon; his sister-in-law, Rita (Jack) Kirkwood of West Olive, MI; and brother-in-law, Charles Duff of Chicago; several nieces & nephews; and longtime companion, Donna Welch of North Muskegon. He was preceded in death by his wife, Judy, and his parents, Pasquale and Amelia Bernardini. Services for Angelo will be held on Thursday, March 27, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church with Fr. Anthony Britto officiating. Interment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery. Relatives and friends may visit with Angelos family on Wednesday, March 26, from 2-4 & 6-8 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home in Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to John Rybicki (for Julie Moulds Rybicki, Angelos niece who is battling cancer) or to Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.