Bernadette Wadsworth CRAIG

BERNADETTE WADSWORTH CRAIG Bernadette Wadsworth Craig led a life of adventure and purpose, devoted to her family and her faith, guided by the belief that love is what truly matters in this life. She loved her family deeply and fiercely. With a gift for connecting with people and a razor-sharp wit, she left an impression on most everyone she met. While it is often said, in Bernie's case it is actually true: there will never be another like her. Bernie passed peacefully from this world on November 24, surrounded by those who loved her the most, into the eternal embrace of her beloved Michael, her sister, best friend and co-conspirator Jane Eby, and family members and loved ones who went before her. A devoted wife to Michael Wadsworth, the love of her life, the couple moved from Toronto to South Bend, Ind., back to Toronto, to Exeter, N.H., back to Toronto, to Dublin, Ireland, back to South Bend, and back to Toronto. She lived a life few can fathom, yet she embraced each change with enthusiasm and each new role with grace. She touched hearts wherever she went, from the glory-soaked football fields of Notre Dame University to the glamour and intrigue of the Canadian Embassy in Dublin. There is no doubt that Bernie's force of character changed these places more then they may have changed her. Bernie's standards were high - for herself and for those around her - but she was always approachable, always kind, a hostess without compare who welcomed all into her home, from heads-of-state to friends she met at chemo and always, always friends of her girls at any age, and always with an effortless grace and warmth. She made you feel you were the only person in the room. And Bernie was a true character. She was a fierce competitor and strong advocate for anyone who was involved in competition of any kind. If you were on Team Bernie, you were loved, you were encouraged and, most of all, you were expected to win. She did not suffer fools, and more than anything, she refused to suffer bad manners, so much so that she was asked to teach etiquette classes for the varsity athletes at University of Notre Dame. She could eat seven ballpark hot dogs (with a light beer) in one sitting - remarkable for such a petite woman with movie-star looks. Her fondness for mayonnaise and liberal application of the condiment was a common joke among family, but whatever you thought of her tastes, no one disputed her much dispensed wisdom - "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." In her later years, Bernie lived in Jupiter, FL, and Cape Cod, Mass with her second husband William F Craig, whom she married in October, 2014. Always anchored by her family and friends, in particular she drew great strength from her great friend and spiritual counsellor, Father Stephen McBrearty (O.B.E.) of Belfast who supported and ministered to her, always, but with even more compassion in the last year of her life. Father Stephen was a constant source of comfort and calm, preparing her for the journey ahead. Bernie is survived by her cherished daughters: Carolan (Punkie) Lesaux, Mary (Minnow) Hamilton, and Jane (Foofie) Flynn, her sons-in-law Brent, Rupert and Matthew, treasured grandchildren Maddie, Michael and Brendan Lesaux, Ryan and Michael Hamilton, and Caitlin and Emmett Flynn, all her nieces and nephews, with special mention to her godson Chris Eby and niece Blaire Davidson. In her final moments, with her girls surrounding her and the room quiet, the girls spoke up and said: "Mom, thank you for your good looks and your wit." True to character, Bernie, who hadn't uttered a word for some time, didn't miss a beat, opened her eyes suddenly and responded: "You're welcome." A memorial service is being planned for later in 2021. Details to follow.