Obituary for Bernard Patrick Joseph Soulodre
Bernard Patrick Joseph Soulodre
Sunrise Feb 18, 1959
Sunset June 20, 2022
It is with heavy hearts we say goodbye to our brother, uncle, friend and confidant Bernard.
Bernard was an independent and deeply private person. Born highly allergic to milk, his first couple of years were marred by atrocious pain that only subsided when the allergy was finally diagnosed. He was a kind and generous man who could be charming when he felt like it – but he could also hold grudges and be reckless. Like the time he ran away from home, on his tricycle, at the tender age of 2 ½. Remarkably, he was found hours later at the busy corner of Portage & Main in Winnipeg … about 2 miles outside of St. Boniface.
As an adult, Bernard became a heavy equipment operator and worked at job sites across Western Canada. He was an extremely talented operator and despite many set-backs, the construction work was a continuous source of employment for him. Bernard was a perfectionist who also taught himself cabinetry and painting. No job was too small – he was a tireless worker who never shied away from long hours and took up landscaping and snow-clearing when work was available. Three weeks before his cancer surgery he was at Danielle and Steve’s house in Vancouver. He spent two weeks doing finishing carpentry and painting, an incredibly daunting task, which he completed professionally and demonstrated how hard he worked on a job.
Bernard had many opportunities in his life but he always seemed to tick off the wrong person or make some bad choices. And luck was never on his side. One of his greatest disappointments was losing his house in Calgary when he had to declare bankruptcy.
When Bernard’s siblings – Jocelyne, Gerald and Danielle - went through his apartment after his death, a whole new side of Bernard and his life was revealed. His often gruff exterior hid a heart of gold. The things he cared about, the things that were the prized possessions said volumes about the private Bernard. He kept every drawing, card and picture his nieces sent him. He also had every single thing his father had given him, shirts from Jocelyne that he kept in the original package, perhaps because he felt they were too nice to wear. Pictures of young Swine and Skitz. His collection of prized tools also traveled with him through life. Family Bible with favorite passage bookmarked.
Bernard was giving, kind, and always looking out for others more needy than him. He was a great parent and caregiver to his furry 4-legged loves: Coco, Swine and the elderly Skitz. We brought Skitz back to Vancouver; for several weeks she missed Bernard terribly. She still prefers to sleep on a pillow that has Bernard’s scent.
Bernard had a tough, often tragic life. Sadly though, it ended much too soon.
Sunrise Feb 18, 1959
Sunset June 20, 2022
It is with heavy hearts we say goodbye to our brother, uncle, friend and confidant Bernard.
Bernard was an independent and deeply private person. Born highly allergic to milk, his first couple of years were marred by atrocious pain that only subsided when the allergy was finally diagnosed. He was a kind and generous man who could be charming when he felt like it – but he could also hold grudges and be reckless. Like the time he ran away from home, on his tricycle, at the tender age of 2 ½. Remarkably, he was found hours later at the busy corner of Portage & Main in Winnipeg … about 2 miles outside of St. Boniface.
As an adult, Bernard became a heavy equipment operator and worked at job sites across Western Canada. He was an extremely talented operator and despite many set-backs, the construction work was a continuous source of employment for him. Bernard was a perfectionist who also taught himself cabinetry and painting. No job was too small – he was a tireless worker who never shied away from long hours and took up landscaping and snow-clearing when work was available. Three weeks before his cancer surgery he was at Danielle and Steve’s house in Vancouver. He spent two weeks doing finishing carpentry and painting, an incredibly daunting task, which he completed professionally and demonstrated how hard he worked on a job.
Bernard had many opportunities in his life but he always seemed to tick off the wrong person or make some bad choices. And luck was never on his side. One of his greatest disappointments was losing his house in Calgary when he had to declare bankruptcy.
When Bernard’s siblings – Jocelyne, Gerald and Danielle - went through his apartment after his death, a whole new side of Bernard and his life was revealed. His often gruff exterior hid a heart of gold. The things he cared about, the things that were the prized possessions said volumes about the private Bernard. He kept every drawing, card and picture his nieces sent him. He also had every single thing his father had given him, shirts from Jocelyne that he kept in the original package, perhaps because he felt they were too nice to wear. Pictures of young Swine and Skitz. His collection of prized tools also traveled with him through life. Family Bible with favorite passage bookmarked.
Bernard was giving, kind, and always looking out for others more needy than him. He was a great parent and caregiver to his furry 4-legged loves: Coco, Swine and the elderly Skitz. We brought Skitz back to Vancouver; for several weeks she missed Bernard terribly. She still prefers to sleep on a pillow that has Bernard’s scent.
Bernard had a tough, often tragic life. Sadly though, it ended much too soon.