Bernard M. Amero, Jr., 77, died peacefully in the home that he loved, with his wife and son by his side, after a long illness. He was the husband of Lucille M. (Elwell) Amero and father of M. Bernard Amero, III.
Born in Gloucester on July 27, 1936, he was the son of the late Bernard M. and Alice M. (Silva) Amero. He grew up on Columbia Street and attended Gloucester schools. He was a graduate of Gloucester High School, class of 1955. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Communications in 1960 from Boston University and was proud to have made the dean’s list.
Bernie will be remembered by his family and friends as a very kind, loving, and generous person. He had a great sense of humor, and was still making jokes up till the day before he died. He loved working out in the yard of his home, listening to all types of music, and attending concerts and events with his family and friends. He loved to walk with his wife along Stacy Boulevard, through Ravenswood Park, and other areas of Cape Ann. He had also been a runner, and had competed in many road races.
Bernie was a musician who played drums & percussion instruments in the Gloucester High School Band, and was also a member of many pop group bands playing at night clubs and various functions around Boston and the North Shore -- The Silvertones, The Hush, and Reggie and The Cimmarons, to name a few. As a young man, he also gave private drum lessons and taught students to play drums in the Saint Ann’s Marching Band.
A bit of a daredevil, Bernie loved owning and riding motorcycles, and he and his wife were members of The Cape Ann Random Riders. He enjoyed trips on his bike to New Hampshire and around Cape Ann, especially with their friend, Jackie Rowe.
With his father, Barney, he owned and operated several fishing boats in Gloucester, including the F/V Curlew, during the 1960’s and 70’s. First operating at the old “Sherm B. Ruth” wharf, and then forced to relocate due to urban renewal at the State Fish Pier in Gloucester. The fishing industry was “in his blood”, being a descendent of Captain Nelson Amero, who came to Gloucester from Nova Scotia as a young man, and had built his own fishing boat – the “Doris F. Amero.”
Along with his wife, Bernie enjoyed riding horses, and from 1972 – 1976, owned a boarding stable – “Sea Breeze Stables” on Gee Avenue, where he gave riding lessons and helped run a 4-H club. He enjoyed riding his horses through the trails of Dogtown Common, Hamilton and Ipswich, and took hunt seat lessons at Ascot Riding Center in Ipswich.
In 1983 he began work at Varian/Extrion in the final assembly group, and did some traveling to do “installs” – both in the US and Japan. His last job, in 1999, was at Medtronic, in Beverly, from which he retired in 2009. He felt good that he was working to manufacture coronary stents that helped to save peoples lives. He made some close friends there, and enjoyed many of the company events with his co-workers.
He loved to travel with his wife, and visited Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec and many places in the US, such as the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, California, the Theme Parks in Florida, and loved walking the boardwalk in Atlantic City.
He looked forward to Sunday trips to Hodgie’s Ice Cream in Amesbury, and fried clams at the Clam Box in Ipswich, Mass.
In addition to his wife of over fifty-one years and son, he leaves an uncle, Eugene, and his wife, Donna, of Gloucester, and many cousins, including Ruth Viator Cunningham of Gloucester. He was predeceased by his paternal grandparents Capt. Nelson and Maude (Powers) Amero, maternal grandparents Manual B. and Lucy (Brum) Silva, a dear sister-in-law, Ellen Elwell, father-in-law, Henry C. Elwell, and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
His funeral service will be held on Friday morning in the Beechbrook Cemetery, West Gloucester at 11 a.m. There are no visiting hours. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to the Cape Ann Animal Aid, 4 Paws Lane, Gloucester, MA 01930.