Bruce Allen Bernardi

He was born on September 23, 1952, at Memorial Hospital in Springfield, the son of E. Allen and Marion (Crouser) Bernardi. He was preceded in death by his parents. Bruce is survived by his son, Joseph (Elizabeth Korb) Bernardi of Florida; sister, Barbara (James Shaw) Bernardi of Pleasant Plains; and nieces, Angela Shaw and Elyse (Andrew Ellis) Shaw Ellis of St. Louis, Missouri.

He was a graduate of Little Flower Catholic School, Class of 1966, and Griffin High School, Class of 1970, both located in Springfield, Illinois. Bruce graduated from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois in 1974 with his bachelor’s degree in English.

Throughout his career with the State of Illinois and the federal government, he was a dedicated public servant who applied his intelligence and creativity for the benefit of the people of Illinois and the Midwest. Bruce began his career with the state working for the Board of Elections. He was recruited to join the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA), in a role supervising and overseeing rapid response services provided in response to mass layoffs and plant closings. These services assisted laid-off workers in finding new employment, retraining for new occupations, applying for unemployment insurance, obtaining personalized career counseling, and accessing other support such as mental health services. Bruce supervised Rapid Response staff located in Chicago, Springfield, and downstate Illinois.

Bruce worked for the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) in the Workforce Division and the Labor Market Information section following his time at DCCA. He analyzed and produced reports on state and local employment data used by policymakers, economists, and workforce programs. At the end of his career, Bruce was hired by the Employment and Training Administration of the US Department of Labor (USDOL) to assist with the implementation of dislocated worker initiatives funded by the Recovery Act. His experience in managing Rapid Response and other dislocated worker programs proved to be a tremendous asset to ETA staff as well as the people of the Midwest in the ten states covered by USDOL Region 5. He had a natural ability to teach and mentor and he contributed to several national workgroups during his time with USDOL.

Bruce was passionate in his faith and encouraged others in theirs. Throughout his life, he attended Mass at the Church of the Little Flower, St. Katharine Drexel Parish (Sacred Heart), and St. Agnes. Through Prairie Rose Alpacas, he was a MAGIC Match sponsor for the Little Flower Catholic School library to encourage children to enhance their reading skills and knowledge base.

Born and raised in the Laketown neighborhood, he was proud to call Springfield his lifelong hometown. He also loved to explore the world through travel and did so often for work and pleasure throughout his life. Some of his favorite trips were to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, fishing trips in Minnesota and Florida, and a variety of National Parks and Monuments.

He was a loyal fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Fighting Illini men's basketball team. He coached youth baseball and played slow-pitch softball for many years. He loved the outdoors, including camping, hunting, and fishing. Bruce was a partner in Prairie Rose Alpacas with his sister, Barb, and her husband, Jim. He was the designated handler of the alpacas at all shows because of his knowledge for answering the judge's questions and his ability to keep the animals calm.

He loved spending time with his family, the alpacas, his dogs (including Rosie, Zack, Hercules, and Nino), and the alpaca guardian dogs Izzy, Olaf, Annie, and Sven. He played the guitar, enjoyed drawing, and rode his motorcycle often, including on interstate trips with his friends. He volunteered with the Springfield Jaycees for decades and volunteered at the Illinois State Fair to provide information to the public about the state departments that he was a part of. He was an avid reader of science fiction, high fantasy, and history.

Visitation: Family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 22, 2022, at Butler Funeral Home-Springfield, 900 South 6th St., Springfield, IL, 62703.

Funeral Mass: 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 23, 2022, at St. Katharine Drexel Parish at Sacred Heart Church, 722 S. 12th St. Springfield, IL 62703, with Rev. James Isaacson, S.J.C. and The Very Rev. Daniel J. Bergbower, V.F., concelebrating. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Agnes School, 251 N. Amos Ave., Springfield, IL 62702 or Sacred Heart-Griffin, 1200 W. Washington, Springfield, IL 62702.