Geraldine (Gerry) Morris Bernard

Geraldine Morris Bernard (Gerry) passed Saturday June 25, 2016.  Born in Salisbury, NC, Gerry was not one for a small town, although that is where she and her husband, Donald M. Bernard, spent many years.  She studied flute with the great Lamar Stringfield (founder of the NC Symphony), after which she was awarded a full music scholarship to the University of Kentucky and to the University of Miami, FL.  She spent three years at Miami, where she traveled with Henry Filmore’s marching band and later met Don (who loved classical music and supported her career) on a blind date.  She shared her passion and talents with her 4 children (first by supporting, cajoling, and even demanding that they learn to play piano and other “handheld” instrument), many of her 10 grandchildren, and perhaps her great grandchildren.  She played violin in the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra for many years.

After moving to Charlotte in 1976, Gerry became active in the local music community, playing in the Queen’s College Orchestra and CPCC Community Band.  First seen as a doting mother for her youngest son, Jeff, she soon established a business for herself, playing flute and violin professionally and serving as contracting agent for musicians hired to play for public and private gatherings.  She was always leading the way when it came to recognizing the value of a professional musician, and helped the music community improve their income and value to the public.

In her last years she always had time for her friends and to share a joke or story she found on the internet.  Friends can be assured that these end times came quickly, as her resolve to not be a bother carried her to the end.  Her four children and their families survive her, currently residing in North Carolina, Colorado, Virginia, and California.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: 

Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University

PO Box 3624 DUMC

Durham, NC  27710. 

Checks should be made out to Duke 17BT. Please indicate the memoriam for Gerry Bernard.

 Service Information