In her 96th year, Bernice passed away quietly in the early hours of February 3, 2026, at Hamilton General Hospital, not far from the North End neighbourhood where she grew up.
To many, Bernice was known as the friendly face who greeted customers at The Dundas Star or answered phones on the switchboard at The Hamilton Spectator, where she worked for many years from the 1970s until her retirement in the 1990s.
To her sons Peter (Shirley, d. 2023), Donald, Bob (Lori), Richard (Sheryl), and Tim (Deanne), she was “Mom.” She was also “Grandma” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Bernice lived a long life marked by dignity, resilience, and quiet strength. She faced a late-in-life cancer diagnosis and surgery with characteristic pragmatism, emerging on the other side as if it were just another day. She was practical by nature, yet had a tender heart.
She loved to crochet and craft until her eyesight no longer allowed it. Even then, she stayed engaged with audiobooks and kept up with her favourite television programs, including Jeopardy! and Murdoch Mysteries. A devoted Harrison Ford fan, she proudly owned all his films on DVD. Bernice also enjoyed cooking and was known for her excellent roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
She will be deeply missed.
Bernice was predeceased by her husband, Donald (d. 1983); her parents, Ninian and Clara; and her brothers, Albert, Bob, and Norman.
Bernice was interred at Grove Cemetery in Dundas in a private ceremony on February 10, 2026.
