Bernadean A. Harmon, 95, passed away November 23, 2011. Bernie was born August 10, 1916 in Lawrence County Illinois in the front bedroom of her parent's farmhouse. She attended a one room school for her first eight grades--the same school her mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and brothers had attended.

She graduated from Lawrenceville Township High School in 1934. In 1936 she met the love of her life, Kern, on a blind date. Bernie often said "we both fell in love at first sight." They married six months later and enjoyed 61 happy years together until Kern's passing on June 20, 1997. Kern was in the Army for 37 months during WWII and their only child, Jan was born in 1945. In 1952, they moved from Indiana for the warm weather and the building boom going on at the time.

Bernie has belonged to her beloved First United Methodist Church since 1952 where she was an official greeter. Every week, Bernie went to two services each Sunday and attended Sunday school until two months ago. She was a charter member of the Belleair Fine Arts Society of the Gulf Coast Art Center, and a former chaplain of P.E.O. She belonged to the Queen Esther Order of the Eastern Star, the Pinellas County Historical Society, the Delta Theta Tau Sorority, and the Clearwater/Dunedin Junior League. In 1965, she was voted one of Clearwater's Best Dressed.

In 1966, when she was 50 and her daughter was grown, Bernie started working at St Petersburg Junior College at the new Clearwater Campus. She loved the students and working there, often saying she couldn't believe she got paid for doing something she enjoyed so much. During the time she was at SPJC she took evening classes earning a 4.0 average. In 1996, after 30 years of working at SPJC she retired at age 80 due to her husband's health. Her last five years have been spent at Regency Oaks Retirement Community where she has enjoyed a fabulous social life.

Her survivors include her daughter, Jan, son in law Dr Robert "Pete" Crawford of Knoxville Tn. and St Petersburg, grandson Morgan Crawford and wife Mary, Durham, N.C., Chrissy Crawford Malone and husband Michael Malone, NY, NY and many loving nieces and nephews.

A Memorial service is scheduled for November 29th at 2:30 pm in the Regency Oaks Town Hall, 2751 Regency Oaks Blvd., Clearwater, Fl. In lieu of cards or flowers, the family requests donations be made in Bernie's memory to the The Hospice Foundation of the Florida Suncoast, 5771 Roosevelt Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33760 or the First United Methodist Church of Clearwater, 411 Turner Street Clearwater, FL 33756.