Bernadette Cary

Surrounded by loving family members, Bernadette Rae O’Brien Cary departed this life October 5, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. in her room at Patient Pines Assisted Living in Bellevue Wisconsin. She was 75.

Bernadette was the daughter of Joseph H. O’Brien and Edith (Josephson) O’Brien, of Chili, WI., owners of the family farm where Bernadette was born in 1947, the youngest of five siblings.  

Her earliest years were spent in Chili and the family later moved to nearby Marshfield where she completed St. John’s Primary School and Marshfield Columbus High School, graduating in 1965.

A well-remembered highlight of her high school years was a train trip, taken with two chums, to see the Beatles in Milwaukee, the group’s only appearance ever in Wisconsin.

After graduation, she moved to the Plymouth WI area, following other family members, and worked as a telephone operator. She married her first husband and with him had six children. The marriage, however, ended in divorce.

In 1978 Bernie moved to Greenbush with her children.  It was there an accidental encounter between two of her daughters and Greenbush Resident David Cary – who they then described as a “mean old man”—helped introduce Bernadette to the person who would later be her second husband. After several years of courtship, she and Cary were married in August 1984 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Plymouth. They were married by Fr. James Adams, who will also officiate at her memorial service to be held October 17.

Having been what she described as an “indifferent student” in high school, she attended Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland and surprised herself by graduating with honors in the two-year Medical Assistant program. Later she would add Nursing Assistant and Ward Clerk certifications to her resume, which opened the door to working in Medical Records. She was employed by Sheboygan County in these capacities for close to thirty years at both Comprehensive Health Center (now a haunted house) and the Rocky Knoll Health Care Facility, where she made many good friends.

In the early nineties, she and Dave, along with four other adults, formed Victory Express, a Christian  folk group, which entertained area nursing home residents about twenty years.

The couple moved to Green Bay in 2021 to be nearer to family members they had not lived near in years. She had been diagnosed with dementia 2020.

Bernadette was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Edith O’Brien;  two brothers, Robert and Edward O’Brien, and two sisters, Margaret Volkomener and Marie Gloede and grandson Brian Koch.

She is survived by her husband, David Cary; Daughter Michelle (William) Kasper, grandsons Christopher Koch (significant other Amanda Begotka) and Tyler Kasper; great-grandchildren Payton Koch and River Begotka, Lincoln, Moses, Arrow and Willow Leach,  daughter Lisa Meyer and grandchildren Melissa Strupp and William Meyer, great grandson Markus French; son David (nee Koch) (Trudy) Cary, granddaughter Kimberly Koch; son Jason (Kimberly) Koch and daughters Mackenzie and Jackilyn Koch; Son Jeremy (Beth) Koch; daughter Michele Koch; and daughter Amy (Mike) Colip of Ohio.

The family thanks and praises the staffs of Patient Pines Assisted Living, Unity Hospice and Wyndemere Memory Care for their attentive care during her illness.

A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. October 17 in the chapel at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, 347 Libal Street.