Bernadette Martineau Allard

Bernadette M. (née Martineau) Allard died on March 3, 2020. Born in St-Edwidge, Quebec, she was educated in Sherbrooke, Quebec.  She married Gilles O. Allard in 1952.  For his graduate studies in geology, they moved to Kingston, Ontario, and Baltimore, MD, followed by moves to Charlottesville, VA; Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Riverside, CA, and Athens in 1965.

On her first Sunday at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, the priest asked for a volunteer organist. Being a consummate volunteer, Bern was the organist at Saint Joseph for 28 years.  She joined a number of local organizations, such as the Women’s Club, the Choral Society, Meals on Wheels, the Janet Rankin Foundation, and the Athens Welcome Center at the Convention Center. She was a translator at the 1996 Olympics, recorded for the blind, and was a weekly volunteer at St-Mary’s Hospital. As a member of the YMCA, she led a three-times a week exercise class for 25 years. She was a single mother every summer when her husband was doing field work in Chibougamau, Quebec.

Her love of travel and her fluency in French, English, Portuguese, and Spanish led to an Associate Director position in 1976 with the UGA Office of International Development. In 1983 she was honored in Washington, DC by the United States Department of Agriculture with the International Honor Award. In 1984, she was given the University of Georgia Distinguished Achievement Award in Public Service. In 2004 the Council on Aging bestowed her the Inspiration Award.  For 20 years she was the chair of the Program Committee of the Athens Kiwanis Club.  She was the recipient of the Kiwanis Outstanding Leader Award from the Georgia District and the Hixson Award from Kiwanis International.

Bern is survived by Gilles, her husband of 68 years, three children and their spouses: Claude (Mabelyn), Martine (Jerry), and Mitch (Jackie); and five grandchildren: Michelle, Nicole, Luke, Christopher James, and Jacob.

A funeral mass will take place 10 AM on Monday, April 6, 2020 at the UGA Catholic Center, 1344 South Lumpkin St, Athens, GA.  A reception will follow at the reception hall of the catholic center.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Gilles and Bernadette Allard Geology Award Fund, care of the UGA Foundation, 394 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, GA 30602. The Fund helps graduate students with field related research expenses.

The family would like to thank Nancy Hart, David Corbin, and the caring staff of both Arbor Terrace of Athens and The Oaks of Athens.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, Watkinsville, GA, is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com