Gilbert W. Bernard was born in 1937 in Rego Park, NY. He entered the U. S. Air Force Basic Training in 1957 at Lackland AFB, TX. After Basic Training Gil was sent to Keesler AFB, MS to complete the Electronics and Data Processing Equipment Repair course.
His first permanent assignment was to Port Austin AFS, TX as a Digital Data Equipment Repairman/Burroughs Radar Data Processing. Along the way he applied for Officer Candidate School and was accepted for Class 63A entering in April 1962. Gil did not graduate having failed to pass the final phase test just days before graduation.
Then Gil returned to his former job at Port Austin AFS and at the conclusion of his Enlistment obligation left the Air Force to begin a civilian career. He served for 8 years and left the Air Force as a Staff Sergeant.
Gil met Bonnie Hartz Sime and they were married in 1965. He has two step-sons: Tom and Tim Sime and had two daughters together with Bonnie: Jennifer Ann and Stephanie Jean Bernard.
Gil’s civilian work started as a computer field engineer with Honeywell, Inc. (1965-1967# in Wellesley, MA. He next worked for the Farm Bureau Services in Lansing, MI #1967-1969) as a programmer/analyst, then as a Systems Analyst with the Lansing School District (1969-1976).
In 1975 and until 1986 he made a career move into banking as Vice President/ Group Manager – Loan Applications in Lansing, Michigan. Currently, and since 1986, Gil has served as an Account Executive with ALLTEL Information Services in Little Rock, AR.
