This is The Place

You would have chuckled at this title,

as only a heathen in SLC could.

The night of the day I found out

all I could see was your face when I closed my eyes.

I am sorry I was not there the last time you reached out to me.

I know that I would not have been enough.

For the longest time you were a kindred spirit:

a razor sharp mind

that wrapped the finest humor

like bandages around a soul

with wounds that wouldn't heal.

While I'm left with great sorrow,

I can respect that you'd had enough...

and I hope that you've finally found a love

that is enough

in the great abyss.

Ronald John Bernier
Ronald John Bernier 1959 ~ 2008 Ronald John Bernier died 8 September 2008 as a result of long-term illness and depression. He was born 6 January 1959 in Putnam, CT to Armand and Evelyn Doris (Ouellette) Bernier. He grew up in Plainfield and graduated from Plainfield High School in 1977. Ron attended American University in Washington, DC, studying History, and also worked at the National Archives from 1978-79. In that year he began his long-time association with the probate industry, helping to find countless "missing heirs" and reuniting families that had lost touch with each other. He worked for the American Archives Association of Washington, DC (and later Bethesda, MD) from 1979 until the firm closed in 1993. Ron moved to Sacramento, CA to continue this work and in October 1995 founded his own firm, National Estate Services. He lived briefly in San Francisco and Oakland, CA before moving to Salt Lake City on 22 September 1996. In addition to his probate company, Ron co-founded Genealogical Resource Institute in 1998, helping people trace their ancestry. In June 2007 he also became Research Manager with American German Heir Search, based in FL. Ron learned that he was HIV positive on 31 August 1988 and lived with that disease for 20 years, through many illnesses and much suffering. He served on the Board of Trustees of PWACU (People with AIDS Coalition of Utah) from 2000-2005 and was its Secretary in 2004. Ron is survived by a brother in CT (and his children, Daniel, Jonathan and Erin Bernier), as well as a sister, Carole Krzywda of Liverpool, NY and her two children, Laurie Krzywda of Augusta, ME and Michael (Rebecca) Krzywda of Rochester, NY (and their children, Matthew and Josephine). He also leaves many friends in CT, the DC area, CA and UT, who will miss his quick wit and amazing sense of humor, as well as his deep love for them. There is less laughter in the world because of his passing. Ron will be buried alongside his parents in St. John's Cemetery in Plainfield. A celebration of his life will occur on Friday, 3 October at 11:30 a.m. at the Plaza Hotel on South Temple, in the APG meeting room. All of his friends are warmly invited to attend.

(from the Salt Lake Tribune Obituary Notices, Oct. 2, 2008)