GIRARD – Bernard W. DeChant, 96, died Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010 at Autumn Hills Care Center in Niles, Ohio.

Bernie was born Aug. 7, 1914, at his parents home in Girard, Ohio to the late Edward and Mary Wilthew DeChant.

Bernie loved travel and adventure and as a teenager left home three times to spend months away being a caddy in Miami or a stock boy in Tampa. He hitched his way throughout the eastern seaboard.

This love of travel lured him to the B & O railroad where he worked in the beginning as a fireman and later as an engineer (train driver) on the old Steam Locomotives in the late 30s. His occupation was declared an essential occupation to the war effort. He spent the war hauling troops, military supplies and raw materials for the War. Bernie retired as a senior engineer in 1977, during this time he made use of his Railroad travel passes to continue the travel adventure.

In 1937, Bernie married his high school sweetheart Cecilia “Sally” Sweeney. Four years later they had a son, Edward. Sally passed away in 2005.
Edward carried on the interest in travel by becoming an airline pilot for United Airlines in 1966. Parents were accorded travel privileges as well and Bernie and Sally took dozens of airplane trips to Hawaii, California, Florida, Las Vegas, London, Paris and Switzerland.

In 1976, Bernie retired from the B & O at the age of 62 and Sally retired from Ohio Bell at the age of 59. They spent the next 21 winters in Florida, a few weeks each spring and summer at their cabin in Canada and continued their air travel adventures whenever the urge occurred.

Bernard is survived by son Edward, now retired; daughter-in-law Ona; sister Mary Helen Galick of Liberty Township, Ohio; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Four of the great-grandchildren live in France and are the children of Ona and Edward’s and three adopted French children.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, John and Cyril DeChant; and one sister, Dorothy DeChant.

At the time of Bernie’s death he was surrounded by the people who meant the most to him.

His key to longevity was no smoking, light drinking and walking 21/2 miles per day in Liberty Park.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, Sept. 24, at 1 p.m. at the Blackstone Funeral Home.

Family and friends will be received today at the funeral home from 6 to 9 p.m.

Interment will be held at Girard City Cemetery.

Family requests in lieu of flowers, that material contributions be made by mail to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, P. O. Box 27106 NY, NY 10087 on-line to www.mskcc.org.

Visit www.blackstonefh.com to view this obituary and to send condolences to the DeChant family.


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