Nicholas Bernardo, 66, of Fonthill, Ontario passed away in the early hours of October 2, 2020 at St. Catharines General Hospital. Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia 8 years ago, he had been in remission & enjoying a simple life with family & friends for the past 7 1/2 years. Nich was a graduate of Brock University (B.A. History/Politics) & Ryerson University (Journalism). He was an adventurous soul who marched to his own drum & lived life fully on his terms. Anyone who met Nich was easily captivated by his engaging, affable personality, dry/witty sense of humour, gentleness, & knowledgeable discourse on wide-ranging topics from current world affairs to historical events to team sports. Amongst family & friends, he was hailed & regaled as a trivia master, card shark, & board game champion. He was an enthusiastic sports watcher & a devoted fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, though he would become quickly annoyed with missed or bungled scoring opportunities. Nich enjoyed challenging crossword puzzles & word searches, amassing an enviable collection of diverse books & DVDs from sci-fi to world wars/politics to comedians & comedy series. He was a loyal friend & committed family member who always accepted others as they were, never trying to change them or expecting them to be anything other than who they already were. Nich was especially proud of his nephews & nieces. He greatly enjoyed having chatty interactions with them, as well as beating them at cards or board games, though perhaps winning didn't actually happen as often as he would have liked! He also loved to competitively play bocce with family & friends, particularly during the annual Sauble Beach vacation. Nich, we already miss your presence & will definitely miss your masterful, if largely embellished, story-telling at our family gatherings & around evening campfires at our Sauble cottages. Nich is predeceased by parents John Bernardo (1996) & Rosa Bernardo (1992), formerly of Thorold, Ontario. He is lovingly remembered by brother Carmen (Maria) Bernardo & nephews/niece Marco Bernardo, Rosanna Bernardo (Spencer Witt) & Adam Bernardo; sister Anna Bernardo & nephew Jeffrey Wilson; sister Christine Bernardo-Kusyj (Zandy Kusyj) & niece Larissa Kusyj-Graca (Alec Graca) & grandniece Rosalina Graca. He is also survived by many cousins, aunts & uncles. Cremation took place on Tuesday, October 6th, with Nich wearing the jersey of his beloved Maple Leafs. In keeping with his wishes, a modified Irish wake for close family & friends may be held in November. Thanks to Nich's trusted family doctor, Dr. W. Oelofse, as well as the compassionate medical & nursing staff at the St. Catharines General Hospital Emergency Department & 3 Oncology, & the Juravinski Cancer Centre. The family is also grateful to Michael Hoeller, Maria Depalma & Joyce Spadafora for their long-standing friendship & support to Nich over the years & especially the last 8 months. Memorial donations may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada: fill out the designated areas on the online donation page at https://www.llscanada.org/ or on the donate by mail form, OR call 1.866.600.0567.
