A Memorial for Bernadette

                                                       
                                                             A Memorial for Bernadette


Welcome to the Bernadette Vano Memorial Fundraising Page. Bernadette, as her friends and family know, was a uniquely compassionate, funny, cultured individual. Her soft heart, sharp wit, and wide range of eclectic interests (music, art, Monty Python, fine linens, ancient ruins, hair & skin products, etc.) made her easy to talk to and a delight to know and love.

Unfortunately, Bernadette’s voice was silenced with her passing on November 22, 2020 from complications of the COVID-19 virus, a disease whose effects she fought the last 7 months of her life. That ordeal, which left her voiceless and immobile for months at a time, devastated not only her body, but her finances as well. Although the cost of her cremation and the burial of her remains at her parents’ gravesites in St. Joseph Cemetery (see below) were covered by what remained in her bank account, there was no money for any kind of memorial service or marker at the site.

This GoFundMe effort is to raise funds to memorialize the life of Bernadette with a short graveside service, a marker of some kind and/or a contribution to one of her favorite charities. Among the options being considered (depending on the amount raised) are a flat granite memorial similar to the one pictured below, or a permanent, retractable commemorative flower vase at the site. Other alternatives are being looked into as well. Because of COVID-19 concerns, the actual burial service has been postponed until spring and it is hoped a memorial can be ready by the time that service is rescheduled. (More details as the date draws closer.)

If any funds are left over (or we do not reach our goal for a physical memorial), contributions will go to one of the charities Bernadette loved. Possible charities include The Smoky Row Food Pantry here in Columbus, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and the National Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago, which she often accessed online to pray for others facing adversity. (Additional suggestions for charities or memorials are welcome.)

Please join me in commemorating Bernadette’s life, with a contribution, in lieu of flowers, to the Bernadette Vano Memorial Fund – a final token of remembrance, showing that while she was here, Bernadette mattered – in many ways, to many people. Thank you.