Glen Bernhardt Obituary

Glen Edward Bernhardt

Aug 12, 1947 - Jul 25, 2023

Norwalk

Glen Edward Bernhardt, 75, of Norwalk, passed away Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at his residence from complications from Parkinson's Disease.

He was born Aug. 12, 1947, in Mansfield, to Carl and Hazel (Shrewsberry) Bernhardt. He was a 1965 graduate of Nowalk Hight School and graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in education in 1969. Glen taught science for 30 years at Norwalk Middle School, retiring in 1999.

He was a great lover and advocate for the natural world. Glen was a charter member of Firelands Audubon Society, helping to found the local chapter in 1971. He worked for United States Department of Agriculture as a wildlife research technician at Ohio Field Station at what is now the Armstong Test Facility in Sandusky. He served as director of Huron County Park District in the late 90s and worked with Erie County Park District on multiple special projects including a botanical survey of Edison Woods. Glen gave educational nature programs to any local group that asked including Boy Scout and Girl Scout camps, libraries, garden clubs, and service organizations.

Glen was co-owner of Blue Marble in Berlin Heights, where his love of simple games grew. He collected many things throughout his life including pocket knives, bubble gum (not chewed), non-sports cards, tops and yo-yos, and marbles.

He was a constant tinker with a strong sense of do-it-yourself, from fixing family cars and furnaces, creating custom knives, building furniture, turning his own tops, to the pinnacle of his D-I-Y achievements, building a telescope from scratch out of scrap metal.

Glen is survived by his wife of 54 years, Marjorie (Morrow) Bernhardt; children, Phoebe VanZoest of Sandusky and Barbara McCormick of Vermilion; grandchildren, Hazel and Ivy McCormick; and brothers, Larry Bernhardt of Waverly and Stan Bernhardt of Norwalk.

A celebration of life gathering will be 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, at Evans Funeral Home, 314 E. Main Street, Norwalk. Glen's service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his name to Back To The Wild Rehabilitation Center, Castalia, or Milan-Berlin Library District (donations can be made at either Milan Public Library or Berlin Public Library) for the foundation of birdwatching and astronomy kits to be circulated to patrons.