Obituary of Robert James Bernard

Robert James "Smokey" Bernard, Sr., was born on May 29, 1950 in Lafayette, Louisiana, the eldest of five children of Curtis S. Bernard, Sr. and Ethelina M. (Gibson) Bernard. Robert was raised in the loving arms of his parents and also had the great influences of his grandfather and grandmothers with whom he lived for a short time to understand the value of hard work just as his father had. Robert lived with his grandparents while attending James A. Harris Elementary School in Abbeville, LA. grades 1st - 3rd. His parents moved to Grand Isle, LA when his father took a new job at Andrew Martin Ice House where Robert joined his father during the summer vacation. He learned how to work in the Ice House cleaning fish, shrimping and anything that he could do. Robert and his sister, Ethel later moved to Erath to live with their maternal grandmother and attended The Robert Francis Dozier Elementary School. In 1963, the family relocated to Larose, LA where they remained. He attended Kent Hadley School K-8 where he met his girlfriend, Gwendolyn. The next two years, he was a student at CM Washington High School in Thibodaux. In 1966, the schools were integrated and he was transferred to South Lafourche High School, one of six first black students. Tensions were tough at first, but his charm and skill won people over so that color was not an issue and they started to call him friend. Robert joined the football and baseball teams while at South Lafourche and was a stand-out player. One of his best high school stories was when he played in a very crucial baseball game in a town that was not integrated and didn't welcome a black player. The coaches tried to get him to just pinch hit and let someone else run after the hit. He was not having it, saying he was not scared of anyone and he was there to play. The coaches knew that when it was his time to bat, it would be the end of the game if he scored, so they quickly got the bus driver to start the engine and be ready for a quick getaway and that is what happened when he scored a home run. He ran around the bases and then ran to get out of town with his team. He graduated in 1968 and later went on to Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA. On the last day of his junior year of high school, Robert asked to use the car to attend a half day of school, but instead of going home, he sneaked off going to see Gwen. The car engine caught fire and his mother saw him roll up without the car. Needless to say, when it was all over, he was grounded for the entire summer. Robert and Gwendolyn Lois Hyde were married on July 27, 1968 and to this union three children Amy, Cassandra and Robert Jr. were born. A young man married at 18 and starting a family, he branched out to learn more skills to take care of his family. He worked in various industries, until he started a long 20 year career working in the oil industry for Booker Drilling as a Roustabout. He went on to work for Gulf Oil and Chevron in oil analysis. His work ethics earned him promotions and countless awards over the years. After moving to Colorado, Robert worked for such companies as SoundTrack, Citigroup, Scott Lowery & Associates. When he retired, he became an entrepreneur, marketing different products and finally driving for Uber. No matter what he did, the work he did in the oil fields were his fondest memories. Robert's love of music inspired him to become a weekend DJ and share that love. He was given the stage name "Smokey". When Friday rolled around he was ready to put his glad rags on and go Dj'ing all over Louisiana. Being a DJ fostered his love of dancing and he found a way to combine the two. When his song came on, he would get up and dance. It was amazing to watch him dance and put others half his age to shame, knowing all the latest dance moves. Smokey was a diehard Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs fan. He loved the New Orleans Saints, since it was home team, but Dallas was always his #1 team. In addition to football and basketball, Smokey was an avid pool player who belonged to a local pool league. You would find him practicing every Tuesday night and playing on Wednesdays. Smokey was full of passion for cooking which brought out his creativeness in the kitchen. He bragged about his gumbo, Cajun meat pie and seafood spaghetti. He said he would one day open up "Smokey's Diner". There was nothing more important to him than family and he showed that love to his wife, children and family daily. He loved with his whole heart and would make an effort every week to reach one of his siblings and other family members. He would call Marguerite, his nanny, right in the middle of her baseball game, when he knew she would only talk for two minutes and usher him off the phone. He would get a big laugh out of it. He made sure everyone knew he was there as the rock to lean on and maintain a strong foundation. During the 49 years of marriage, it was important to him and Gwen to maintain their friendship within the marriage, remembering to honor their vows, which included keeping GOD first. Saturday mornings was their special time together, eating breakfast and watching old western movies most of the day. Robert reared his children with a tight hand and kept the three of them busy in some sport or activity. If that did not suit them, he gave them the option of joining the band or the choir, because idle time was trouble. That rule was not only for his children, but extended to his grandchildren. He tried to be present at every event his kids or grand kids participated in, even face timing when he couldn't attend. He had such a love for people, if he could mentor a youngster he would try to steer them down the right path. His infectious smile and straight talk, led many people to respect him often dubbing him "Unk". On August 3, 2017, Robert James Bernard, Sr. went home to be with the Lord. He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn H. Bernard; son, Robert "Sport" Bernard, Jr.; daughters, Cassandra Bernard-Lee (Brandon) and Amy Bernard-Maziel (Gerard, Sr.); daughters-in-law, Louritha Gilliam- Bernard and LaKeisha Nelson; grandsons, Anthony, Gerard Jr., Kenyan, Amari, Ian and Kaden; granddaughters, Kianna and Autumn; brother, Curtis (Paula) Bernard, Jr. ;sisters, Ethel B. (Robert) Ambrose, Joselyn B. Lazard, Nolia Bernard and Anita Cormier; aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, god-children and very special friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Curtis Samuel Bernard, Sr. and Ethelina Maria (Gibson) Bernard. Rest in peace..."Smokey"