Sharon Louise Bernier (Sloboda)

Dr. Sharon Louise Bernier (Sloboda)
October 23, 1940 - October 23, 2025

Always precise, always organized, always interested, Dr. Sharon Bernier was tenacious, generous, and, dedicated.
Sharon was the second of seven children born to Bayne Bernier and Frances Westbrook. She grew up in West Hartford, CT, and spent a lot of her childhood caring for younger siblings--she was 17 when her youngest brother, Brian, was born--so her free time was somewhat limited. But that didn't stop her from being mischievous or questioning the rules.

After graduation from Conard High school in 1959, Sharon completed her bachelor of Science in Nursing and her MSN in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing at the University of Maryland. Her first job was as a staff /visiting nurse at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. She went on to earn her PhD in Education (counseling) from Catholic University, and embarked on a respected and varied 60-year career.

The roles she played in the mental health community ranged from assistant professor at Georgetown University, to a clinical psychiatric nurse in the US Army Nurse Corps and then as the Dean of the School of Nursing at Montgomery College. All the while, she maintained her position as Consultant and Adjunct Professor at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. One of her greatest joys was interacting with second- and third-year psychiatry residents as they learned group therapy techniques.

Dr. Bernier was a widely published author of articles in professional journals and a member of the leading professional nursing associations. She believed in giving back to the community with her time and expertise and volunteered at Whitman Walker Clinic, the Christ House, and Healthcare for the Homeless. She maintained a private practice up until her death.

As an adventurous cook, Sharon loved to try new recipes for friends at dinner parties, where the conversation ranged from current events to theatre to books and back to current events. She enjoyed the Shakespeare Theatre, the Arena Stage, and the opera.

Although her marriage to Walter Sloboda ended in divorce, Sharon was the proud mother of two boys: Eric Sloboda and Emile Sloboda, and a doting grandmother to five grandchldren, as well as an aunt to a raft of nieces and nephews. She is also survived by two brothers, Brian and Dell

Sharon was an amazing woman who made the most of any opportunity. We should all live as well and as long.