We regret to announce the sudden passing of our beloved son, brother, uncle, dad and nephew, (late) Desmond John Bernard, aged 39, of We’koqma’q First Nation on April 9, 2026.
He is survived by his mother, Sandra “Draw”; two sons, Drake and Drayvon; sisters, Alichia (Was), Cecelia (Alck), Sondra; brothers, Donnie and Steve (Tiff); nieces, Jazzalene, Martensia, Aleksandra, Tijana and Anastasja; nephews, Danilo, Daxton and Vukasin; aunts, Catherine, Mary Johnson, Jessie, Mary Ellen, Shelia, Lillian, Vivian and Kalolin; uncles, Martin, Bertram (Muin), Daryl and Gabriel. Desmond had four godchildren, Landon, Katerra, Tessa and Tijana; godparents, Josephine and Brian Googoo.
Desmond was predeceased by his father, Donald John; brother, Diamond; best friends, Charles (Quessey), Curt and Mike; uncles, Terry, Frankie and Noel (Chiefie); aunts, Cecelia and Glenda; cousins, Jason and Francesca; maternal grandparents, Alex R. and Pauline Googoo; paternal grandparents, Jacob and Bertha Bernard.
Desmond had a big, loving heart, earning many nicknames such as Tender Heart, Subdivision Chief and Dez Arnez. He loved palying softball for his home team, the We’koqma’q Warriors and his favorite hockey team was the Boston Bruins. He was also a big fan of the Toronto Blue Jays and wrestling. Desmond and his friends even created an amatuer wrestling league. Desmond was a talented carpenter and highly skilled in installing metal roofs and solar panels, as well as building cabins, sheds and houses. He was the supervisor at We’koqma’q Contracting under the Housing Department and worked with Winmar for many years. He had dreams of creating his own construction company and had secured many housing repair and ballfield maintenance contracts beyond his regular job.
Desmond was a funny and light-hearted soul with many funny stories to share. He was always willing to help or volunteer his time and proudly maintained the ballfield in We’koqma’q. Desmond had many friends and family with fond memories of him being happy and laughing. He will be sadly missed by many people.
The visitation for Desmond will start on Thursday, April 16 at 2 p.m. for family and 5 p.m. for the public at 64 Subdivision Rd., We’koqma’q . Funeral mass will be on Saturday, April 18 from Blessed Kateri Parish, We’koqma’q at 10 a.m. Burial will be held at a later date. Words of comfort may be forwarded to the family at www.haverstocks.com
