Obituary of Ronald "Ron" Harry Bernhard

Ron Bernhard, 81, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2018 in Morristown, NJ.  He was born and raised in Hackensack, NJ and lived for the past 23 years in Sea Girt, NJ. 

Ron graduated from Hackensack High School in 1955, playing for the state championship football team as a lineman.  He went on to enter the first class of the Air Force Academy, where he played football, and later graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Ron was a long-time resident of Parsippany, where he raised his family, and was  a life-long employee of New Jersey Bell (later Verizon), rising to the position of District Manager of Marketing.  He retired after 32 years at the firm and thoroughly enjoyed his retirement travelling and living at both the Jersey Shore and Savannah, GA.

He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Jeanne Grauer Bernhard, and by his three heartbroken daughters and their spouses:  Stacey & Tim Smollen of Madison, Lisa & John Marshall of Washington Township and Susan & David Cahill of Rumson.  He will be remembered as Papa, Pop-Pop, Pop or Grumpa (not a typo) by his seven grandchildren:  Timothy & Ryan Marshall; Anna, Julia & Matthew Smollen; and Dylan & Jake Cahill.

Ron is also survived by his sister, Joan Bennett of San Diego, his brothers and sisters-in-law Linda & Dick Neveu, Micki Grauer and Jim & Claire Spinelli, and his nieces and nephews:  Glenn Bennett, Laura Bennett, Jennifer Sunda, Dan Grauer, Gina Martucci, Mark Spinelli & Anthony Spinelli. 

Ron is pre-deceased by Sam, Tanya, Maggie and Pippa—all dogs he adored and thought of as family.

Ron was an enduring NY Giants fan and season ticket-holder since the days the team played in Yankee Stadium and the Yale Bowl.  He passes his loyalty to the Giants on to his family.  Ron was also an avid golfer, framing photos of the holes he aced, and holding the annual Bernhard Open where he made his daughters drive around in carts delivering beers and announcing “I’m a Bernhard!”  He loved horses and was a co-owner of a number of winning thoroughbreds, including No Convictions and Timarant.

His ashes will be spread over the water at the Jersey Shore, in the surf he loved to ride so much.

All Funeral Services are private.

Arrangements were under the care of Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home, Madison.