Maria A. Bernard

Maria Argentina Bernard, 91, of Orlando, passed away on November 23, 2014. She was born on August 8, 1923 to Daniel and Maria in the Dominican Republic. Maria Argentina Bernard Herrera was born in 1923 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. She was born to a large family , her Spanish father, a carpenter and her Dominican mother , a seamstress and homemaker , had a total of 15 children and she was the 10th. She adored her parents and when we were growing up she shared memories about her childhood which was marked by the death of her father when she was 13. Our mother's life was defined by self-effort, often tremendous hardship and amazing grace. Her first marriage ended in divorce leaving her a single mother of a most beloved son, Hermes Jose. Eleven years later, during the height of the Trujillo era, she fell in love with our father, Niviade Bernard who was a mathematics professor at a Jesuit University in Santo Domingo. She was introduced to him by her niece, who was dating one of my father's students. They quickly became a couple and the four would often go out on double dates. My parents married two years later. When the political situation in DR worsened , she urged our father to apply for resident visas in the US. Shortly after that we moved to NYC. Her children became the light of her life. She was a Mother who fought fearlessly and courageously and consistently so that her children above all else could realize their full potential . Even when we didn't see our light she saw it and urged us to its fullest expression. She was patient, kind, thoughtful and always generous with her love . She loved to laugh. She loved music. And she loved beauty. Mami had many occupations, she was a homemaker , a grandmother, a gardener, a childcare provider, a seamstress in NYC's garment district, a landlord , a property manager, and a caregiver, caring for two of her siblings in their last years with Alzheimer's. She loved all her family, her siblings, her nieces and nephews and she was always ready with a listening ear, and a warm smile for anyone who asked for advice and consolation. Her life was a series of moments endued with love, teaching us that kindness can be effortless. She knew her share of tragedy, losing her son, her husband, several siblings and eventually her own awareness and health. Yet her faith in God granted her strength and she continued to love life through all of its ups and downs, its tears and laughter. She spent the last quarter of her life with Alzheimer's dementia but this is not what defines her. What defines Mami was her immense capacity to love. I John 4:8 tells us that "The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." And in I John 4:16 says "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God and God in him." She abided in love. Through the years we watched as she was stripped of her independence, her selfawareness, and her mobility. Yet her love for us remained intact. During a visit a few years ago, Mom turned to me and said "I don't know who you are, nor why I love you so very much." It was through love that she always knew us and it is something we will always treasure. When asked if Mom recognized us my answer was simply "Her heart recognizes us, and that is enough". Why she has been ill for so long is a mystery. But I have a theory. Alzheimer's is like a dimmer switch throwing the room into darkness very slowly and gently until the light is completely gone ….I think it was her way of tip toeing out of our lives . She was our rock. That she managed to live until the age of 91 only magnifies the enormity of the room whose doors have quietly shut. Maria is survived by her loving family; two daughters, Maria Leatherwood, Lourdes Bernard; her three sisters Mercedes Pimentel, Carmen Almanzar, Lillian Rodriguez, as well as her brother, Octavio D. Herrera. She was preceded in death by her mother, Maria Herrera Estevez and her father, Daniel Herrera Visitation will be held at Osceola Memory Gardens, 2000 13th Street, Saint Cloud, FL., on Friday, November 28, 2014, from 9:30 A.M to 11:30 A.M with religious services to take place at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 700 Brown Chapel Road, St. Cloud, Florida. A private cremation will take place afterwards. Online condolences can be given at www.osceolamemgds.com.

Maria A. Bernard

August 8, 1923 - November 23, 2014