Mathias P. Bernard

IN MEMORY OF

Mathias P. Bernard
'Matt'
Mr. Bernard, 92, died Thursday, April 26, 2007 in Naples, Florida. He was born in Queens, NY on January 15, 1915 to Mathias and Rose Bernard. He moved to Naples in 1961 coming from Marblehead Neck, MA and had lived in Naples since 1961, a year after Hurricane Donna hit Naples.
Mr. Bernard enjoyed sailing and playing bridge. He was kind, wise and humorous, and was a self-taught man who was a teacher to all. One of Mr. M.P. 'Matt' Bernard's interests was sailing. He competed in hundreds of sailboat regattas in Marblehead in the 1950s and 1960s in his Lightning boat he affectionately called 'Spray.' His home in Marblehed Neck where he and his wife, Anna (the late Anna Bess Dineen Bernard), raised eight children, was called 'Sea Spray.'
Prior to moving to Marblehead, he lived in Wellesley Hills, and prior to that, he lived in New Jersey and New York City. While living in New York City, he left high school to work for a New England company called Sid Harvey's, an oil burner business, to help his parents during the Depression. He was a hard worker and eventually became president of the company until his retirement in 1961.
In 1961, he and his wife and children moved to Naples, the year after the eye of Hurricane Donna hit Naples. The Naples Daily News ran a front page article at that time describing a New England family who dared to buy real estate following the destruction of Donna.
Matt also enjoyed playing bridge after his retirement in the 1960s. He always enjoyed being active. In fact, even at age 90, he was still walking two to three miles every day. Mr. Bernard was always talking about his eight kids. He was also very proud of his 19 grand-children and two great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Josephine Trippe Bernard of Naples; his brothers, Bob Bernard of Naples and Jim Bernard of Brentwood, NY; sister, Joan Bernard of Clinton, CT; his eight children, Patricia Richwagen of Masschusetts, Gloria Bernard of Oregon, Kaye (Dennis) McGarry of North Carolina, James (Nan) Bernard of Georgia, Thomas (Bonnie) Bernard of Virginia, Joan Marie Bernard of Colorado, Betsy (Bill) Melvin of Georgia and Michael (Gail) Bernard of North Carolina; grandchildren, Dennis McGarry and wife, Susan; Denise McGarry; Deborah Dee McGarry; Derek McGarry and wife, Missy; Kristin Richwagen, Joey Richwagen, Brad Bernard, Allison Bernard, Chera Bernard, Carley Bernard, the late Kelly Michaela Bernard, Jason Bernard and wife, Nina, Kassi Bernard and husband, Greg, Ashley M. Powell and husband, Scott, Adam Melvin, Michael P. Bernard Jr., David Bernard, Richard Bernard and Maggie Bernard; and two great-grandchildren, Anna Kathryn McGarry and Elizabeth Rhea McGarry.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Anna Bess Dineen Bernard. A funeral Mass and burial services were held on Monday, April 30th at 10:00 a.m. at St. William Catholic Church, Naples, Florida.