Richard A. Bernardin

"Richard A. Bernardin, 90, of South Hadley, MA died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, April 12 surrounded by his loving family. He leaves his wife of 64 years, Doris Bernardin (nee Letourneau), his twin sister, Helen Fielding, his nine children, 16 grandchildren and one great grandchild: Rick Bernardin of South Daytona Florida, his daughter Melissa and granddaughter Chloe; Michael Bernardin of Compton, Canada, and his children, Gabrielle and Jeremie; Lisa Bernardin of Middlebury, Vermont, her partner Bill Eichhorn, and children Gretchen and Dominique; Anne Colleran of Belchertown, MA and children Nicole, James, and Brendan; Mimi Bernardin of Newton, MA, her husband Micky Tripathi and children, Jaya, Jesse and Avery; Andrew Bernardin of Orange City, Florida and his wife Wendy Bernardin; Eric Bernardin of Belchertown, MA, his wife Kathy Bernardin and children Savannah and Fiona; Jamie Bernardin of New York, NY, his wife Julie Chang and children, Jetta and Bowen; and Matthew Healy of Amesbury, MA, his wife Ashley Healy and son, Parker. Richard was a veteran of WWII who participated in the invasion of Normandy and received several awards including the Purple Heart, Victors Award, and the French Legion of Honor. He was a 1951 graduate of Boston College. He enjoyed languages, spoke French and Spanish fluently and a smidgeon of German. He was founder and president of Gourmet Food Service, a company he built and sustained for 35 years. He was an avid golfer, skier, and tennis player who enjoyed every facet of life. Richard touched many with his gentle manner, warmth, and personable demeanor. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 18th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Robert Bellamine Church in Andover, MA. Burial with military honors will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Andover, MA. There are no calling hours. Donations in his memory may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at woundedwarriorproject.org. Please visit www.beersandstory.com to sign the online guestbook. "