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| Douglas Bernard, second from left to right in the back, 1962. | Douglas Bernard, third from left to right at the 20th anniversary reunion of the Brazil I 4-H Peace Corps Project, National 4-H Center, Washington, DC, August 1982. | Douglas Bernard seated in black shirt, at the 50th anniversary reunion of the Brazil I 4-H Peace Corps Project, National 4-H Center, Washington, DC, September 2011. |
| Douglas Bernard |
We are dedicating this post to a dear friend and fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) which with many other Americans served this country overseas in many areas of the human endeavor. As a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer he worked with the Agriculture Extension Service of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from 1962 to 1964. He was in charge of the 4-S Clubs in the city of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, teaching their members agricultural techniques, leadership, health and sanitation and many other skills and knowledge. The Returned Volunteers of the Brazil I 4-H Peace Corps Project have lost one the valuable and beloved friends. The photo used here came from the Project Picture Book, published in 1964.
Doug attended our group reunions held at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland, the first one in 1982 to commemorate our 4-H Peace Corps project 20th anniversary and the last one in 2011 for the 50th anniversary. The second and third photos shown above of the attendees are remembrances of those reunions.
Juan E. Rosario-Rivera, former RPCV, Brazil I [1962-1963], serving at the Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, local office of ACAR-Minas.
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| Biography |
Mr. Bernard was born April 3, 1943 in Wilmington, to Donald Dale Bernard and Martha Ann Bernard. Douglas was the oldest of four children and is survived by three sisters, Sharon Oliver, Shirley Haeuptle, and Barbara Loudenslager. He was the husband of Janete Valle Do Rodrigues Bernard. He graduated from New Vienna High Sch ool in 1961, where he was very active with 4-H projects and FFA in high school. He was awarded the Star Poultry Farmers award for the State of Ohio in 1961. From 1962 to 1964, Doug served in the Peace Corps in Brazil working with agricultural agents to improve the 4-H programs in the country. In 1967, he received an undergraduate degree from Wilmington College, then a graduate degree from Thunderbird School of Global Management in 1968. Starting in 1968, Douglas became active in a business venture in El Salvador, Pavos S.A., that produces and markets frozen turkeys throughout the Central American Market. He remained an active part of this business through the end of his life. During his residence in El Salvador, Doug was active in setting up the American Chamber of Commerce, and served as president of the American Society where he was active on the board for over six years. In addition, he served on the American School Board for five years (two years as treasurer), and was active with the U.S. Embassy by serving on the Security Commission for U.S. citizens living in the country.
While serving in the Peace Corps, he met and married Janete do Valle Rodriques of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil on July 14, 1964. Douglas traveled extensively throughout Central America while living with his family in El Salvador between 1969 and 1980. Moving his family from El Salvador during the country’s civil war, he traveled between Florida and El Salvador from 1980 to 1986. From 1987 to 1991, he worked for a company that imported fresh cut flowers from Mexico and South America, moving to Miami in 1990. In 1992, he was employed by an airline servicing the Caribbean Islands to develop the imports of fresh produce from this region. From 1995 to the present, he was the President of Tropical Commodities, a company that imports and distributes fresh chili peppers throughout the United States and Canada.
At the age of 57, Douglas discovered his life’s great hobby, competitive Go-Kart racing. He raced throughout the USA, winning several championships as one of the oldest active competitors. Doug had a grand passion for the sport of open wheel racing, attending many races over the last years of his life and building lasting relationships. While racing, he developed a close friendship with a young Brazilian professional race car driver and enjoyed supporting him and sharing in his friend’s many victories as he moved up to the highest level of open wheel racing.
D. Douglas Bernard, 69, passed away peacefully in Miami, Fla., on Oct. 24, 2012. He is survived by his wife, Janete Bernard of Miami, Fla. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his three sons, Rod, Bryan and Dennis. Over the last two decades he had the joy of gaining three lovely daughters-in-law, Barbara, Ele and Tracy; and five grandchildren, Christian, Trey, Tyler Ana, and Lola.
This biography can also be found at these wed sites:
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