Shirley J. Bernhardt

Shirley Jene Bernhardt passed away at her home in Ashton Gardens Thursday evening, May 9, 2019.  Born in Newark, NY on March 17, 1930 Shirley lived in the Buffalo, New York area where  she met and married her husband of 60 years, Charles (Chuck) H. Bernhardt, who preceded her in death in 2011.  Attending school, in Rochester, NY, she received a degree in Nutrition and became a Registered Dietician.  After marrying Chuck, she left the outside workforce and dedicated herself to being a full-time Mother and housewife, embracing her role as Chuck’s true partner in all things, joining him in entertaining and maintaining hundreds of relationships with friends and colleagues. They lived in Buffalo for 5 years and then moved to Findlay, Ohio when Chuck began work at Cooper Tire, often vacationing in Florida over the many years of his career. Upon Chuck’s retirement in 1991, they moved to Florida full time.  Shirley cherished her relationships with friends and family, keeping in touch by phone and with cards for every occasion and long, chatty letters to keep everyone up-to-date on the happenings in their lives.

Shirley was a caring Mother, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother who is survived by two sons, Theodore Charles and Scott (Leslie) Bernhardt. She was a loving grandmother to five, Emily (Eric) Katz, Eric (Jacquelyn) Bernhardt, Matthew (Christina) Bernhardt, Caroline Bernhardt and Charlie Bernhardt. Shirley considered herself blessed to have been granted a long enough life to know her great-grandchildren:  Abby, Ethan, Gabriel, Luke, Adelyn, Collin, and Katelyn. Shirley treasured her special relationship with her sister-in-law Ellie Vickery, widow of Shirley’s beloved brother Ted, and was a very special Aunt to nieces and nephews: Theodore (Sue) Vickery, JR., Jamie and Drew, and Sue (Tim) Rapant, Cameron and Callie

A Memorial Service and Celebration of Shirley’s life will be held at the First United Methodist Church of Naples located at 388 1st Avenue South, Naples, FL 34102 at 11:00AM Saturday May 18th.