Lt. Col. Gus M. Bernard

[ironputts]

November 5, 2023

Lt. Col. Gus M. Bernard
Hobby Senior Squadron
Texas Wing

Gus M. Bernard was born in Detroit, Michigan on the 14th of June 1955, to Sarah Perez and Gustavo Bermudez, and passed away in Houston on Monday, the 2nd of October 2023. He was 68 years of age.
After his birth in Detroit, the family moved to Cuba then to Toledo Ohio where Gus went to grade school and a jesuit high school for one year. He learned to camp, fish and hunt and loved being a boy scout.

He then moved to Miami Florida, spending much of his free time boating and fishing. He also learned to fly and fix cars and airplanes.

He enlisted in the Air Force where he made life long friends. He never came home while stationed in Germany but instead traveled extensively all of Europe every chance he could. His favorite story is how he kissed the blarney stone in Ireland. And if you knew Gus - you know he could talk forever about any subject and always gave his opinions to anyone who could listen. If you were lucky - you got a chance to say something.

After the Air Force, he worked at Pan Am Airlines and Florida Power and Light. He saved his money because his dream was to study economic and the law.

After Hurricane Andrew destroyed Miami and his house, he finally quit his job and went back to school. First in Minnesota where he loved the cold and loved studying.

He then moved to Bloomington Indiana for law school where he met his wife Julie. They were both older students and were assigned lockers next to each other. After several years of being friends, they finally started dating and within a few months, they were inseparable.

Gus and Julie started their life together in Maryland by way of a 13000 mile road trip around the country. Travel was a huge part of their marriage - and their favorite places were Germany and Spain.

Although they had no children together, they have many children of their hearts. Kaya and Mia are their German daughters who each lived with Gus and Julie in Texas. Cathy, Tina, Jamie and most recently Kim are also theirs - each loved like they were their own.

Gus opened up a law practice in Maryland specializing in estates and trusts. He gave up this practice when Julie was offered a dream job in Texas.

They have lived in Texas for 15 years where Gus rediscovered a love for ham radio and communications with the Civil Air Patrol. He spent countless hours setting up remote communications stations for search and rescue exercises, getting on the radio for "nets" at home and working communications during disasters. He volunteered with the MS 150 charity bike ride, helped with the Houston Marathon and volunteered with the Veterans Law clinic. He was addicted to YouTube, watching videos on how to fix and build radios, sailing and boating around the world and catching up on the Ukraine war and US politics.

His dream was to buy a big boat in retirement and do the Great Loop - a 6000 mile journey across the intercoastal waterways of the US, into Canada, and down the inland rivers from Chicago to Mobile.

He is survived by his wife, Julie Nelson whom he married in 1999 of 24 years ago. He is also survived by his four siblings, Sally Jackson, Ana Bermudez, Robert Bermudez and Jorge Bermudez.

He was much loved by his wife Julie and told her everyday that he loved her more than every grain of sand on every ocean or beach.