Bernie, Bern, Brotha, Da, never BERNARD (its pronounced Bern-id), a man of many names and many complexities. He left us too soon, but with a life so well lived and so well loved. Bernie was the son of his best friend Marie (McWilliams) Mullaney and his cribbage rival Bernard F. Mullaney, Sr. His aunt Karen McWilliams was also one of his favorite people that he loved. Born at the Chelsea Naval Hospital in 1956 just 11 months after his Irish twin and partner in crime Sabrina (Mullaney) Cregg, married to his good pal and golfing buddy Richard Cregg. He was the second oldest of the five siblings, his devoted brother Scott, married to his favorite Italian Louise (Turco) Mullaney, and his younger siblings Shawn and Brigit. Bernie loved being Uncle Bern or Uncle brother to his nieces and nephews Ricky, Andrea, Kristina, Brianna, and Vinny.
He married the love of his life, his sweetheart, his soul mate, Patty Shaw-Mullaney in 1989 and they were married for 36 years on March 18. Patty and Bernie were together for 48 years, and they were best friends through thick and thin, and lots of love and laughs in between. Through her he inherited his other favorite family, the Shaws. Although he was banned from Thanksgiving due to an incident where he fell asleep in his mashed potatoes, he was so loved by his late Mother-in-law Mal (Marilyn (Gauthier) Shaw) of Boston, Massachusetts, he loved the Shaw family almost as much as his own, living five houses down the street from his mother-in-law and her sister Ellie, his very best pal. Mal and Bernie had an amazing bond, despite her banishing him from thanksgiving for two years after the mashed potato incident. His sisters-in-law, Diane (Shaw) Friend who he respected so much and provided him with his longtime friend and cohort Dana Friend, and Lynn Shaw and her partner ‘Buff’ Ed Lang whom he shared many a good time with. He was predeceased by his two brothers-in-law David Shaw and James ‘Jimmy’ Shaw, whom he loved dearly. He also was uncle to Terrie, Mark, Rachael, and Micaela (whom he took to her first bar for a cheeseburger and pinball at 7 years old).
To Bernie, family was everything, from growing up with his beloved aunts (aunt “Katty”), uncles, and cousins, to the family he grew from close friends. His Village included the “Thullaney family” with his two girls Erika and Lilli and his best friends Bobby and Stef. He was predeceased by his “brothers” Pompei “Spike”, Peter D’Orazio, and Whaleman. There are too many more in the village to count like Ray Ray & Uncle Ray, Skybar, Cousin Chucky, Sam, Everett, Lousy Eddie, Ootsie, the Lenzies, the Carrs, Handy, his Cronin’s Golf buddies, and his very best neighbors Krissy, Joyce, Donna, Peter, ‘Critopher’, Barbara, John, and as Dave said all his bonus neighborhood kids.
A carpenter by trade but an artist at heart. A five time winner of the Boston Globe scholastics art award, with certificates from the Museum of Fine Arts school, and RISD. His mediums were watercolor, charcoal and screen printing for which he earned the only A+ his professor had ever given. He graduated from Franklin High School in 1975 and was a proud fine art major at Dean College class of 1977. He loved hanging off of buildings looking over the Charles in Boston while a union carpenter for Local 40. His craftsmanship especially his wooden staircases with no nails only wooden dowels, was unparalleled. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 2011, he couldn’t work, but he couldn’t sit still, so he had a great time making mac and cheese at the deli counter at Anne’s Market in Franklin. He was passionate about what he did and loved to create.
The king of family dinner (lasagna and manicotti specialty from his time growing up working as an Irish kid in an Italian bakery) and Sunday breakfast. He loved his rotisserie oven and his industrial deli slicer (he won as an award). Christmas was his Superbowl and he loved to host the whole family from dusk till dawn
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The beloved father and friend of Amanda Lynn Mullaney and James Bernard Shaw Mullaney, and the late and loved Kathryn Marie Mullaney. He taught them everything they needed to know about having fun, working hard, and above all else how to be a good human. He made Amanda custom baking tools so she could cook with him when she was a little girl. They would look up at the stars at night and find the constellations together, or sit and watch “girly” movies. With James there was a shared love for sports. He took him to Fenway for his first game, and the two were near inseparable on Patriot game days. He made sure everyone was on time for their basketball games, little league and softball. He taught them about music, art, history, and was a movie connoisseur of everything from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Indian Jones, the Godfather, Michael, to Shawshank, Jaws, or Harry Potter to name only a few. He was always there when they needed him, for a hug or just to understand. He taught them that love and acceptance was the best thing a father could give.
Bernie was a man of many talents and much love. It’s hard to put in a few short words the great life and all the love and wisdom and heartache he left us with. He will be missed by all who knew him. He always said, “it’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” Those are the words he wished to be passed on, and to remember him by.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral service Tuesday April 1st, in the Charles F. Oteri and Son Franklin Funeral Home 33 Cottage St. at 11AM.
Burial at St. Mary's Cemetery will take place privately.
Calling hours are Monday March 31st, from 4-7PM.
Guestbook www.franklinfuneral.com
All are welcome to a celebration of life at the restaurant “3” in the Franklin after his funeral. If anyone would like to make a donation in his name, they can be made to the Pan Mass Challenge. He was so proud of his daughter Amanda who road in his name as a cancer survivor, and was such a big fan of all the work by Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund.
Yes, he was a pirate 200 years too late.
P.S. Go Sox!
The PMC - Donate
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral service Tuesday April 1st, in the Charles F. Oteri and Son Franklin Funeral Home 33 Cottage St. at 11AM.
Burial at St. Mary's Cemetery will take place privately.
Calling hours are Monday March 31st, from 4-7PM.
Guestbook www.franklinfuneral.com