Rev. Béla Bernhardt of Lakewood, OH, died on Thursday, May 3, 2018. He was 92. He was born on February 2, 1926, in Budapest, Hungary. In 1949 he married Róza Potsubay and together they had one son, Béla András. He enjoyed scouting his entire life, beginning in Hungary, in 1934, and continuing in Germany, Australia, and the United States. In 1951, in Sydney, Australia, he was the founder of Scout Troop 30 (Alexander Korosi Csoma) of the Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris, which is still active today. Rev. Bernhardt was ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1955, in Adelaide, Australia. He faithfully served numerous congregations in Australia, Canada, and the United States, preaching the gospel in Hungarian, German, and English. The last two congregations he served were Saint Thomas and Gloria Dei in Cleveland, OH. Rev. Bernhardt is survived by his wife of 68 years, Róza, his son, Béla (Lois), his grandchildren, Éva and Marisa and Eli, Owen and Abigail DeTemple, his nephews, John, Paul (Iris) and Theodore Barath, and his sister in law, Éva Potsubay. He was predeceased by his parents, Tivador and Maria (Kerestes) Bernhardt, his sister and brother in law, Janka and John Barath, his niece, Esther, and his brothers in law, Viktor and Adam Potsubay. A funeral service will be held at the Hungarian Reformed Church West Side, at 15300 Puritas Avenue, Cleveland OH, at 11:00am on Friday, May 18, 2018. The family will receive family and friends beginning at 10:00am. A private interment will occur at a later date. Memorial donations may be made in his name to the American Hungarian Evangelical Conference (18493 High Parkway, Rocky River, OH 44116) to support the continued distribution of his Hungarian Lutheran publication “Eros Var” (“A Mighty Fortress”).
Obituary for REV. BELA BERNHARDT
