Harry Alan Bernard

WALPOLE – Harry Alan Bernard, 80, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, August 1, 2017, in Walpole, New Hampshire.

He is survived by his wife, Pam Bernard, their children, Galen Bernard and Shea Bernard, as well as Mr. Bernard's children, Mitchell Bernard and Sherri Aloi; a sister, Shelly Storch, and two brothers, Michael Bernard and Dennis Sadler. Mr. Bernard had seven grandchildren: Tyler and Gabriel Bernard, Anthony and Danielle Aloi, Jack and Ava Bernard, and Cameron Guetti.

He was born in the Bronx, New York, the son of Helen Meyer and Daniel Bernard. His mother later married David Sadler.

Mr. Bernard was early-on a gifted painter. He attended the School of Industrial Arts in Manhattan, which offered a forerunner of a program in contemporary design. He was primarily a designer/art director, and a senior art director at several notable advertising agencies in New York City. In 1969 he and his wife moved to Boston where he worked at the Bresnick Co., at the time the largest agency in New England, and later as the joint owner of Clark Bernard & Corolla. In the 1980's he formed The Creative Team and over time brought in his children, Mitchell, Galen, and Shea. He won many prestigious awards in advertising, and was one of the early experimenters with digital design.

As a young man he participated passionately in the early days of rock and roll, writing songs for a doo-wop group he formed with friends in the 1950s and recording several songs.

While his commercial art dominated much of his early life, Mr. Bernard returned to the fine arts later on, focusing on large-scale oil and acrylic paintings, collage, monoprints, digital prints, and photography. He was particularly drawn to random imagery, often found on the street, which suggested a human presence.

He and his wife, a painter and writer, were founding members of the 249 A Street Cooperative, Boston, a groundbreaking project that turned a derelict 6-story building in South Boston into a thriving artists' enclave.

After moving to New Hampshire in 2004, Mr. Bernard began to exhibit locally, with a one-person exhibit at the AVA Gallery in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and recently was planning an exhibit to be installed March 2018 at the Castleton Downtown Gallery in Rutland, Vermont.

Mr. Bernard loved the Boston Celtics, and the painters Jean-Michel Basquiat, Willem DeKooning, Antoni Tàpias, and Cy Twombley. Among singer songwriters, he loved Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, and Tom Waits.

Family and friends will gather to celebrate his life at Alyson's Orchard, 57 Alyson's Lane (Off of Route 12), Walpole, on Friday, August 18, from 5-8 p.m.

For those who wish, donations may be made to FMEEA (Fall Mountain Educational Endowment Association), c/o Gary Grey, PO Box 610, Charlestown, NH 03603-0610.

The Foley Funeral Home of Keene, New Hampshire is assisting the family with the arrangements.

To offer online condolences to the family or to share special memories, please visit http://www.foleyfuneralhome.com.