With incredible sadness and broken hearts, Bernie’s wife Kathleen (Kathy) and his son, Brendan, share this notice of Bernie’s passing on December 22nd, 2021.

Although he was in the hospital, Kathy, Brendan and Brendan’s wife, Kim were able to spend time with him before he died. Kathy was able to stay until the end. In his own words, Bernie wanted everyone to know, “I’ve had a wonderful, rich life, full of love. I’m so lucky.”

Educated as a chemical engineer at the University of Toronto (Class of 1966), he instead chose a career as an educator and served the students of Etobicoke for the entirety of his teaching career; first as a teacher of science at Royal York and Alderwood Collegiates, then for the majority of his career as the Head of Guidance at Silverthorn Collegiate. During this time, he married his “golden girl”, Kathy in 1968 and was ecstatic with the birth of his son, Brendan, in 1982. While his first love was his family, his first labour of love was being an educator. His second was building his pine log home in the countryside. He was able to enjoy this house for 43 years with his family prior to moving to a condominium. He felt as though he had “won the lottery without buying a ticket.”

Bernie is predeceased by his parents Bernard and Dora Coyle and his sisters Betty Coyle and Margaret Lysick and his in-laws Jean and Joseph Decker. He will be fondly remembered by his wife Kathy, son Brendan (Kim) in Milton, his sister Anne Coyle in Niagara Falls, niece Carol (Derek) Retter and family in Markham and nephew Jim (Lorenzo) Lysick in Mono, as well as the Decker and Servos clans, both with members too numerous to list.

If you wish to remember Bernie in a special way, please consider donations to your local food bank, Covenant House, Sleeping Children Around the World, any organization helping teens and young children or someone you know who is in need of a helping hand.

A celebration of life will occur at a later date.