My name is Barbara Cellana Bernard and if you are reading this obituary obviously I am dead and just as obvious, I am writing my own obituary. Many people do this but they don't own up to it. Others leave it to their progeny, a business colleague or a newspaper obit columnist. Since no one knows me better than I myself, rather than run the risk of someone making me sound too magnificent, or who knows, too dreadful, I decided while I still have my memory and not so much arthritis in my fingers that I can still type, I would do it myself.

I was born July 13, 1927 and since I don't know when I am going to die, when you read this you can figure out how old I am. I am past a normal life expectancy so time owes me nothing, although I owe a great deal to Dr. Frank Croke, a kind, concerned, competent physician. I have had one long, incredible life, more than I probably deserve, but oh my, what a wonderful ride!!

I was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, the only child of Mansueto A. and Rose Griffin Cellana. They were remarkable parents who wanted me and loved me. Along with them came an assortment of aunts and uncles who made my life even more wonderful. I was involved in everything at Drury High School, graduated in 1944, and headed off to Mount Holyoke College where life changed for me when my father died very suddenly my freshman year.

My parents always said "we must find something good even in bad things which happen". The only good which came from losing my Dad was that I grew up. I could not stay in college without help, so I worked three jobs on campus and because I always loved to study my grades were scholarship level. I was offered a job at a radio station WHYN/AM, by a man formerly from North Adams who had a financial interest in the station and who knew my family and my financial struggle to remain in college. I wrote commercial copy for the radio station and often narrated commercials. I did my last three college years with full tuition scholarships, a Dora Radlo Scholarship from my High School and earned sufficient money for room and board, albeit in those days yearly tuition was $700.00 and room and board the same. In each laundry box from home there would be a dollar or two. I knew how hard my mother, a superb seamstress, had to work for those dollars.

After college graduation in 1948, as soon as I could, I repaid my scholarship. I established an endowment at Mount Holyoke with the interest from it going annually to a needy student. I am a member of the college's Mary Lyon Society. I did the same at Our Lady of the Elms College. I always receive letters from the students who are the recipients and I am so proud to be part of helping them. I have walked in their shoes and know how painfully they pinch. I was incredibly busy at college working and studying, but always found time for newspaper and magazine work, sports, dating wonderful men who had come home from the service and were resuming their educations at area colleges. I never missed an opportunity to go to a concert, a lecture or a play even though I did it as an usher. I graduated in June 1948. During my senior year I fell in love with George J. Bernard, Jr. We were married in North Adams on October 16, 1948. My husband died at home of colon cancer on October 31st, 1998. He just turned 75 years old and we observed our 50th wedding anniversary not the way we had planned, taking a hot air balloon ride down the Loire Valley, but with him dying in my arms, and our daughter Nancy holding his hand. Our other daughter, Betsy, having been with us for days, had just flown back to her home and career in Denver.

The first two years we were married we lived in Berkshire Village, a tiny suburb of Pittsfield, MA.

I worked weekdays as a teacher at the Pittsfield Day Nursery and on Saturdays did three radio programs on WBEC. I also wrote for the Berkshire Evening Eagle. In 1950 having saved my salaries and with help from my mother we were able to join my father in-law, whom I adored, in purchasing the Magnat Machinery & Pattern Company in Leeds, MA. We then moved to Holyoke to be near my ill father-in-law and to be half-way between where we both worked because I was hired to do a radio program on WHYN/AM called IT HAPPENED IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD.

I continued working in radio at WHYN, got involved in community activities, won $100.00 on the Strike It Rich radio program in New York and used it to form the first independent Golden Age Club, the forerunner to senior center activity the nation over. For years the members of the Golden Age Club and I dreamed of a building all of our own, just for seniors. I was honorary chairperson of the fund drive to finally build it in Holyoke. It's one of the best in the country.

When WHYN radio moved to Springfield to become WHYN-TV/AM/FM, I did a daily live television program, THE BARBARA BERNARD SHOW. I interviewed the most fascinating people in the world, from movie stars to politicians. It was a fun as well as a lucrative job. At the same time, I wrote columns for the three newspapers which owned the station, THE DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE, THE HOLYOKE TRANSCRIPT-TELEGRAM and all three of the SPRINGFIELD newspapers, THE SUNDAY REPUBLICAN, THE MORNING UNION AND THE DAILY NEWS.

When I retired from broadcasting, I continued to write a personal perspective column for the HOLYOKE TRANSCIPT TELEGRAM and a food column for HELLO HOLYOKE. When those papers closed, I joined the SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN writing a personal perspective column, something I continue to do and take this opportunity to thank so many wonderful readers for keeping in touch with me with very kind words. I also wrote a column for the paper's former supplements, ENCORE and THE PLUS. For years I wrote commercial copy and photo captions for clients in New York, not that I was so terrific but I was a lot less expensive than Madison Avenue. I treasured my years as a Trustee on the board at Peoples Bank. I have served on many local and national boards and especially during my television career, I received too many awards and honors to list here. If I were to choose the one which was especially rewarding it was recording over 1000 books for the blind, although there are a few other awards which touched me deeply.

I loved living in Holyoke and tried to show that by doing things for the community. Some of my efforts brought me lovely tributes. I was chosen as Citizen of the Year by the St Patrick's Parade Committee and was the first person to receive the Christian Charity Award from the Holyoke Ancient Order of Hibernians. The year I received the St. Patrick's award and rode in Harry Craven's convertible in the parade was the sunniest day ever and as we drove along the parade route, I realized my life had been touched by hundreds of parade viewers lining the streets greeting me, hugging me, calling out times when we had been together. I have been a member of the St. Patrick's Parade Committee and I could not have been more proud to be part of such a great group.

I was the first person from Holyoke and the first female to be awarded the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from the Valley Press Club. I was greatly honored to be the first Holyoke resident to be given the prestigious PYNCHON AWARD, and the fact that I was a female also made that award extra special. It is not that I am such a feminist but I admit breaking a few glass ceilings is pretty special. I was given the Lou Oldershaw award from the Holyoke, YMCA, and Citizen of the Year award from the United Veterans Association.  In addition to joyful days growing up in North Adams and having a great career, I was blessed with the ability and time to be a supportive wife and a devoted mother to two remarkable daughters. My first is Nancy Bernard Walford who is married to Dr. Gary D. Walford. They live in Maryland as does my granddaughter Elizabeth Ann Price, nee Walford, her husband Stephen M. Price and my great grandson, Aiden George Price and great granddaughter Emma Rose Price.

My other grandchild is Dr. Geoffrey Andrew Walford and his wife Nicole and their sons Theodore Mills Walford, Timothy James Walford and Thomas William Walford, they live in Milton, MA. My second daughter is Betsy Jane Bernard, the first female president of A T& T, and now a member of several national boards of directorships of major corporations. She lives in Harding Township, New Jersey with her wife, Laurie J. Peter. Both Nancy and Betsy spend most of their time in their winter homes in Bonita Springs Florida.

My family is small but what I lack in quantity I make up for in quality. Every one of them is very dear to me. My daughters are close to one another which my husband and I, only children, prayed they would be. The people with whom they share their lives are remarkable, supportive and have been very kind to me. My grandchildren have made me so proud with their academic achievements, their careers, and especially with their spectacular spouses whom I love dearly.

There will never be enough space or time to tell you about my great grandchildren. My home is filled with pictures of them and my heart is filled with love for the smartest, dearest, sweetest and most beautiful additions to my life.

I lost my dearest friend Charles V. Spallino, of East Longmeadow, who came into my life three years after my husband died and turned what would have been periods of loneliness into times of great fun. We had 17 years together and I miss him greatly but am blessed with love and attention from his children. I also leave a number of people I have treasured, some as close personal long-time friends, some I met just a short time ago, some as bridge partners, some as business colleagues, some as Lunch Bunchers, some as St. Patrick's Ladies, some as co-workers, some as co-board members, some as casual acquaintances who made my days so pleasant when I met up with them at the grocery store or church, and my wonderful neighbors on Steiger Road where I have lived in the same home we built in 1955. I could never have survived as well as I have without the help from Dick Olivier, who since he was a 13 year old kid has been my across the street neighbor, Dr. Lou and Clare Rigali and Patti Devine have always anticipated what would be difficult for me to do and did it for me. As much as I love flowers, they are temporary and so if anyone chooses to remember me I would greatly appreciate a memorial to two organizations which have meant so much to me. The Holyoke Medical Center, 575 Beech Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, and the Holyoke YMCA, 171 Pine Street, Holyoke, MA 01040. Calling hours will be held on Sunday, September 15, 2024 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Barry Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton Street, Holyoke. A private internment of my cremains will take place in the family plot at Saint Jerome Cemetery.

I say as Emily Dickinson did "If my life you care to review it, just say she was happy and what's more, she knew it". If I have offended you, I ask your forgiveness just as I have forgiven those who have hurt me. If you have loved me, I was aware of it, and I have loved you back. Keep treasuring and enjoying life, be good to your family, friends and strangers and when this day comes for you, I hope you will accept it as I do with gratitude for what has been, and with faith for what I know is to come. I have been told just before we die our whole life passes before us. I know I will be happy with what I see and if you have been part of it in any way, I thank you.

Barbara C. Bernard