Rosa Pearl Bernard

Rosa Pearl Bernard passed away peacefully in her home on December 8, 2024, at the age of 81. 

Rosa was born on February 22, 1943, in Gulfport, Mississippi to John and Mary Willis. Shortly after graduating from high school, she met Isaac Bernard and they were married on November 25, 1961, which was 63 years at the time of her passing.

During their marriage, they lived in several states and two foreign countries, Italy and Japan, Rosa worked a series of jobs, eventually retiring from Xerox Corporation in 1998. She and her family moved to Indianapolis in 1998 soon after her retirement. Her hobbies were cooking, gardening, arts and crafts, and sewing.

Being a woman of strong faith, she was involved in several Christian organizations. Noteworthy of this was her being a Facilitator in the United Methodist Women of the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church. In this position, she had to travel throughout the state of Colorado for meetings and programs.

When she moved to Indianapolis, she became a member of the United Methodist Women of the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. She was very active in her local church at Barnes United Methodist Church. At the conference level, Rosa was the Indiana representative to the United Methodist Women of the North Central Jurisdiction. In 2010, she was selected to be with a team that went to Brazil to work with the poor. She was also an active member of the Church Women United, a multi-denominational organization.

Rosa leaves to cherish her memory her husband Isaac Bernard, a sister Patricia Taylor, three children, Gregory Bernard Sr, (Bonni) Sonya Bernard and Stephanie Bernard; four grandchildren, Brittney Jolliffe (Kristopher Merritt), Gregory Bernard Jr, Jonathan Bernard, and Bryant Bernard; five great-grandchildren, Khleb Jolliffe, Kayse Jolliffe, Melia Bernard, Penelope Merritt, and Hannah Bernard; and several nephews and nieces.