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PUTNAM — Richard “Dick” A. Bernier, 90, of Richmond Rd., died Nov. 11, 2020, at home. For 62 years, he was the husband of Claire (Biron) Bernier. Born in 1930 in Danielson, Dick was the son of the late Harry and Cordelia (Chabot) Bernier.
He was the last surviving and youngest of their five children.
A proud veteran of the Korean war, Dick aptly died quietly in his sleep on Veterans Day. He served in the U.S. Navy (1950-54), aboard the USS Yosemite.
After his military service, Dick returned to Danielson and began his career as an apprentice at Pratt & Whitney in Hartford. He quickly discovered an aptitude for welding, and through the support of his mentor, Don Bowman, Dick advanced and eventually became a premier class TIG welder.
With those skills, he worked on aircraft at Kaman Aerospace Corporation in Moosup, and some of the earliest prototypes of fuel cells at United Technologies Corporation in S. Windsor, and eventually retired from Whitcraft Corporation in Eastford.
Dick was an avid gardener, bowler and could cut a rug like the best of them, especially if it was a polka. He was a champion in card-playing, and particularly loved both cribbage and pitch.
A communicant of St. Mary of the Visitation Church, Dick was heavily invested in the early education of his two sons at St. Mary’s School, having served as a parent leader and fund-raiser, and one of the founding leaders of the Circle of Fun.
In addition to his wife, Dick leaves his sons, David R. Bernier (Rebecca) of Lansing, Mich., and Kevin D. Bernier and his spouse David N. Henriques of Woodstock; eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews.
The Mass of Christian Burial is at 11 a.m. Nov. 24 in St. Mary of the Visitation Church.
Donations: The Richard A. Bernier Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Putnam Bank, 40 Main St., Putnam, CT 06260. Proceeds will benefit local students who choose to pursue a career in Richard’s chosen field of welding. Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.
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