Bernard Tio

Bernard Sik Boen Tio, 85, passed away Friday, March 4, 2016 at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks following a brief illness with pneumoniae and sepsis. Bernard leaves his wife of 49 years, Tien (Tee) Tio; daughter, Imelda Tio and husband David Cohen; daughter, Caroline Tio and partner Andy Pho; daughter, Irene (Tio) Jai and husband Henry Jai; five grandchildren, Alex, Malia, Isaac, Sadie and Silas; sisters, Elsje Tio, Yani Siouw and Sien Ramali. Born and raised in a small village of Cepu, located in East Java, Indonesia, he moved to Southern California in January of 1979 with his wife and three daughters. He raised his daughters in Northridge, and moved to Thousand Oaks in 1991. At a young age, he endured the heartache of losing his father, his only brother and the hardship of surviving the family business along with his mother and sisters. As the business expanded, Bernard moved to bigger cities, eventually landing in the capital city, Jakarta. There, he met his future wife Tina. They were married in September 10, 1967 and had three children. To provide a better education for his daughters, he made the courageous decision to move his family to United States. Through hard work, he became a successful businessman, affording his family the life he envisioned. He found joy by seeing his daughters graduate medical school, masters programs, getting married, and adding three sons to the family. He became a doting grandfather to five grandchildren and was avidly involved in their lives. In addition to his love and dedication to his family, Bernard found passion in tennis, bridge, travel, food and music. Together with his wife, Bernard sailed, flew and drove all over the world. When he is not traveling, Bernard is often found playing the organ at home or simply listening to his treasured IPod to the music of Bocelli , Doris, Frank ,Dean, and many more classics. He lived, worked and loved with passion. In his words, “My story is not that of a rich man or an important figure of the world, but just that of an honest, hardworking man from a small village, who accomplished everything he set out to do in life by being deeply passionate.” In the lyrics appropriately sung by Andrea Bocelli, it’s time to say goodbye to our beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. May you enjoy your days in heaven, eating, traveling and listening to music while the legacy you inspired continue to follow your lead.