Bernard Repeta

Bernard Repeta, age 92, of Silver Spring MD, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 5th, surrounded by his loving wife and family. He was preceded in death by his parents Theodore and Celia Repeta and daughter Debra Ann Meinhardt.

Bernard, or Bernie to those who knew and loved him, was born on April 16, 1930 in the Polish neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, where some of his family remains. As a young man, he trained for the inter-city lifeguard program and came in 7th across all five boroughs of the city, before joining the U.S. Army in 1951. He served in Korea until 1953 in the First Army U.S. Armored 45th Recon Company as a tank commander, and would be a proud veteran and a supporter of the military all of his life. After his service, he attended Hofstra University with the support of the GI Bill, where he met his wife, Julie, neé Flanigan.

After college, Bernie worked for the Franklin Simon department store as a womenswear buyer and eventual store manager. They welcomed their first daughter, Debra, in 1958; a second, Barbara, in 1960; their first son, Steven, in 1961; and their second, Michael, in 1965. The young family spent early years in Detroit before moving to Olney, Maryland, where Bernie and Julie would spend the rest of their lives and grow a lively network of friends. After years at Franklin Simon, he worked for other women's stores until retirement, when he enjoyed spending time with his large and loving family and at Norbeck Country Club, where he was a frequent and scratch golfer.

Bernie was a lifelong lover of music, history, and film. He was a Civil War buff and widely knowledgeable on the subject, and he loved to pull from his hundreds of records to set the tone for happy hours and parties (which he and Julie threw with aplomb), and perhaps entertain with his beloved trombone or some trivia.

Bernie is survived by his devoted wife of 65 years, Julie; daughter Barbara Repeta of Washington, D.C.; son Steven Repeta and his wife Sue Ellen of Bristol, CT; son Michael Repeta and his wife Nina of Wilmington, NC; and grandchildren Mickie and Matt Meinhardt of Ocean City, MD, Michael Banks Repeta of Wilmington, NC, and Fallon, Hayden, and Aengus Repeta of Bristol, CT. As the head and heart of his large family and absolutely beloved, he will be missed immensely by all. 

The family will greet relatives and friends at 10am on Tuesday, July 12th at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 15663 Norbeck Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20906; where the Memorial Mass will begin at 11am.  Procession to Gate of Heaven Cemetery will follow.  A reception will follow at Clubhouse I in Leisure World, 3700 Rossmoor Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20906.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church (details below).