Obituary of Theresa Marie Bernardo
Surrounded by family, Dr. Theresa Bernardo passed away peacefully on March 13, 2024 after a challenging journey with ALS.
Theresa will be missed immensely by her mother Mary Frances Bernardo ; sister Mary Sue Bernardo (Kevin) ; step-brother, Wesley Robinson (Helena) ; nieces and nephews Emma, Maggie, and Kate Jacques, James McHugh (Tori), Jacqueline, Wesley Jr. (Megan), and Gregory Robinson; and Aunt Betty Ratcliffe (Lawson). In Heaven, Theresa has reunited with her loving father, Aldo Bernardo; grandparents Francis and Rita Carroll, and grandmother, Chelsea Bernardo.
Theresa had a lifelong love of music, and was an accomplished violinist, pianist, and singer. Theresa’s St. Peter Choir School years allowed her to expand on her musical talents, and she established many life-long friends with whom she continued to perform. Theresa was also a gifted athlete, and as noted by her Phys-ed teacher “could throw a football farther than the boys”. She spent many summers working at her cherished camp, Horseshoe J. Dude Ranch, often winning the trophy “dude of the week”. Theresa was fond of playing board games with the neighborhood kids as a child, and it was a given that she would always come out the winner.
Theresa graduated from Catholic Central Secondary School, in 1977. Upon graduation, Theresa was awarded the Elizabeth Scholarship for academic excellence and was The City of London’s top scholar.
Dr. Bernardo held a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and MSc in Epidemiology. She sustained a pattern of career excellence and contributions to international veterinary medicine, animal health, public health and teaching. Dr. Bernardo was proud to be the first student to graduate from the master’s program at the Atlantic Veterinary College, and in 2019 was awarded the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) XIIth International Congress Prize for her contributions to international veterinary medicine.
Dr. Bernardo was a world-renowned innovator in the areas of information technology and cuttingedge processes, with a decade of experience in health informatics. She co-developed multilingual disease surveillance /mapping software used in over 100 countries and adopted by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH-OIE) and the United Nations. Dr. Bernardo led the development of a baseline for the Global Burden of Animal Disease.
As IDEXX Chair in Emerging Technologies and Preventive Healthcare at the University of Guelph and co-lead of the Informatics, Dr. Bernardo continued a career committed to advancing the knowledge base of veterinary medicine and supporting the educational process of numerous graduate students, veterinary students, and field veterinarians. Dr. Bernardo has been recognized by her peers, professional organizations, and on the international level throughout her career.
Theresa will be remembered for her love of family, music, dancing, good wine and extraordinary friendships. She exhibited unending bravery up until the end of her extraordinary life. Theresa’s last words sent to beloved family, friends, and colleagues were as follows: “Thank you for bringing so much joy to my life. As a veterinarian, I appreciate it requires compassion to relieve suffering. As an epidemiologist, I understand the trajectory of this disease. I am grateful to have the option of MAID in Canada. Be kind to everyone and treasure each precious day.”
There will be a Celebration of Life at Mykonos Restaurant located at 572 Adelaide Street North in London, Ontario on March 30, 2024 from 2pm to 5pm. Arrangements have been entrusted to John T. Donohue Funeral Home. Online condolences may be shared at www.donohuefuneralhome.ca.
