Bill Berniard

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, November 13, 2007

BATON ROUGE – Mass of Christian burial for Bill Berniard, 85, of Baton Rouge, who died Friday, Nov. 9, 2007, at Baton Rouge General Medical Center-Bluebonnet, will be at 1 p.m. today at St. Jean Vianney Catholic Church with the Rev. Tom Ranzino officiating.

Burial will follow at Resthaven Gardens of Memory Mausoleum under the direction of Resthaven Funeral Home in Baton Rouge.

Visitation will be from noon until service time today at the church.

Mr. Berniard was a native of Napoleonville, La. He was a decorated U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was a 1946 graduate of U.L. Lafayette and was a gymnast. He was a registered engineer in the state of Louisiana and was retired from South Central as an electrical engineer. He was an avid golfer and loved dominoes as well as traveling to his Navy reunions.

Mr. Berniard was an Eucharist minister at various parishes throughout his life. He was a member of St. Jean Vianney Catholic Church, St. Jean Vianney men’s club; a lifetime member of Knights of Columbus Council 4030, Nicholson Post No. 38 American Legion, Telephone Company Pioneers, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3784 and Don Carter’s bowling league.

He was preceded in death by a son, Stephen Girard Berniard; brother, Clifford Berniard; and sisters, Gladys LeBlanc and Sadie Frances Smith.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, June Talbot Berniard; daughters, Catherine Peters and husband, Marty, both of New Philadelphia, Ohio and Peggy Berniard of Natchez; son, Tom Berniard and wife, Charlotte, both of Lafayette, La.; daughter-in-law, Terry Berniard of Lafayette; 10 grandchildren, Martin Peters of Scottsdale, Ariz., Charles Peters of New Philadelphia, Ohio, Patrick Peters of Cleveland, Ohio, Trey Berniard and Geoff Berniard, both of Tallahassee, Fla., Michael Peters of Groton, Conn., Matthew Berniard and Emily Berniard, both of Baton Rouge, Tiffany Berniard and Spencer Berniard, both of Lafayette, La.; and great-grandchildren, Martin Peters IV and Susan Catherine Peters, both of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Pallbearers will be grandsons.

Special thanks to his neighbors Glen and Cornelia Conques for their special caring at this difficult time.

Please sign the online guest book at www.resthavenbatonrouge.com.