Robert "Bob" G. Berning

Robert (Bob) Berning described his place of birth as under a Wisconsin Holstein.

He was the third of seven children by parents Paul and Esther (Timmerman) Berning of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. His parents, sisters Jean, Ann and Susan – and brother, Kenneth, preceded him in death. Sisters Alice and Adele survive.Three successful children, Brian, Elaine and Laura, and their respective spouses gave him seven high-achieving and dearly loved grandchildren.He is also survived by the love of his life, wife Kathleen. He often introduced himself as her spouse because of her extensive and exceptional community service.

He was a rare exception of early 1960’s farm boys attending college. He graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, IA, and received an MBA from Drake University.

After an honorable discharge from the Army, the bulk of his professional career was spent with three United Ways in the communities of Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, IA and Lansing, MI. He retired from his own consulting business, The SPIDER Institute, in 2012.

He sorely missed “a once in a lifetime best friend,” Charles D. Spahn who passed unexpectantly in 2002. He and “Chuck” caught over 150 legal muskies in 27 years of N. Wisconsin fishing, coupled with many games of gin and cribbage, chocolate chip cookies and vodka martinis.

He often repeated he was sure his parents adopted him from Central America as he loved the heat and hated the cold, ergo his last years residing on the water in Florida.

He loved playing golf with “the boys” at his home Lake Diamond course and got his first hole-in-one in 2024. Despite playing every year, he and partners never did win the Lake Diamond Fantasy Football League championship. He also loved fishing, especially fly fishing, and dreamed of catching a tarpon on a fly in the Gulf.

He was an avid Rotarian and a member of five Rotary clubs beginning in 1974. He used to say he loved being around people who pledged regularly to tell the truth. Bob also loved to write, doing so with a weekly “Good Sunday Morning!” email to family and friends, and a weekly internet blog spanning 10+ years.

He was a good neighbor and community-minded man, which among other activities, led an effort to construct a science center in Ocala/Marion County - to advance K-12 student interest, performance and careers in STEM.

Bob loved his family, his career in community service and sitting out on his lanai in “paradise.”

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to :

Hospice of Marion County, Inc.

3231 SW 34th Ave

Ocala, FL 34474