Obituary of Bernice Murdoch

Obituary – Anna Bernice Murdoch (n. Johnson) Anna Bernice Johnson was born February 8,1933 in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, to Anna and Alfred Johnson (both predeceased). She moved to Larder Lake in 1944 and continued her schooling until she met the love of her life, and husband of nearly 70 years, Curly Murdoch. They built a beautiful life together, truly embodying unconditional love, always living a humble but full life, rich with friends and family. As an only child, she enthusiastically embraced becoming a member of Curly’s large Murdoch family. Bernice is predeceased by her husband, Curly; her sisters and bothers-in-law Edith, Creighton (Margaret), Burwood (Irene), Melville (Hazel), Grace, and Mable (Cecil); and several nieces and nephews. Bernice became the matriarch of the Murdoch family, and she will be sadly missed by many family members. None of us were ever able to keep the facts straight quite like she did. Bernice had an in-depth knowledge of the family, and with her passing, has taken a great deal of history with her. Bernice had three children: Rick (Debbie), Dean, and Kathy (George Staszak); and six grandchildren: Riki, Roxanne and Michael (Brittany), Melissa (Jordan Martel), Laurie (Jonathan Donaldson) and Robert; and three great-grandchildren: Telford and Elliot Murdoch, and Breeda Donaldson. Bernice beamed when she spoke of her family and was very proud to share their accomplishments. Bernice was an active member for over 40 years of The Lioness Club, St. Paul’s United Church, The Women’s Euchre Club, and The Arthritic Swim program. Some of the many other organizations she gave her time and energy to were The 33’ers Club, The Bridge Club, and The Grumblin’ Grannies. Her commitment to her community was strong and her calendar rarely had an opening between organizing and volunteering. Bernice continued to smile until her passing on March 4, 2020, shortly after her 87th birthday. She was very fortunate to have had so much support from her friends since Curly’s passing. Her family would like to thank everyone who enabled her to maintain her independence. We are especially grateful to Donna, Breeda, Joanne, Joe, John & Brenda who have gone above and beyond. The family would also like to extend their sincere gratitude to Doctor Corneil, Nurse Torie, OT Lise and the staff at Temiskaming Hospital for making Bernice’s stay as comfortable as possible. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Temiskaming Hospital Foundation – Palliative Care or the St. Paul’s United Church Accessibility Fund would be greatly appreciated. Visitation to take place Friday, March 13th from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm at Perrin Funeral Chapel. Funeral service on Saturday, March 14th at 11 am at St. Paul’s United Church with lunch to follow.