Bernard Joseph Lordemann, 76, of Helena, passed away peacefully after a short bout of liver cancer on March, 16, 2022, surrounded by his loving family at Fort Harrison VA Medical Center. Bernard "Bernie" Lordemann was born on May 27, 1945 to Bernard J. "Ben" and Esther A. (Salvas) Lordemann. He was the third of six children. Bernie is survived by his sons Anthony "Tony" Lordemann and Kevin Lordemann, and his daughter, Tracy Lowe.

Bernie lived a broad and impressive life. His zest for life and his love for his family and friends were felt by all who knew him. He was intensely intelligent, meticulous in his words and generous with his time and money. He had a knack for helping people, generally doing it without fanfare or recognition. He was a skilled mechanic and had an affinity for restoring old cars, an ability he passed on to his son, Kevin.

Bernie attended school in Helena from kindergarten through his graduation from Carroll College. He was known as quite a character during his school years, creating mayhem, providing comedy, and making countless friends. As a sign of the times, he sported blue suede shoes and a crew cut highlighted with plenty of Brylcreem.

Bernie did everything with flair. In his teens, while riding on a friend's car hood delivering the Helena Independent Record, the car stopped suddenly, sending him flying and shattering his leg. Shortly thereafter, still in a full leg cast, he was exiting a vehicle when his brother David accidentally slammed the car door on Bernie's hand, cutting off his thumb. Their father, a matter-of-fact policeman, stuck the thumb back on his hand and told him to "hold it," while driving him to the hospital for a successful reattachment.

In 1963 Bernie enlisted in the US Navy, and served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63 (Squadron VF-114 "Aardvarks") off the coast of Vietnam. While in the Navy, on a trip back to Helena he met a cute girl from Helena in the Salt Lake City Airport. Then, after he completed his naval service, he returned to Helena and married Susan Ore. Together they had their son Anthony "Tony". In 1973 in Helena he met and married Colleen (Connelly) Beechinor. Together they had their son Kevin. Colleen had five children from a previous marriage, (Mike, Kelly Ann, Shannon, Shawna, and Kerri Beechinor) all of whom Bernie loved dearly and actively engaged in their lives.

Bernie's work life was just as varied as his personal life. He worked at Buttrey Foods, worked as a manager at Osco Drug, managed and toured with a rock band from Helena, and worked for Peterson Lumber. He also managed an insulation plant, worked for the Helena School District and for more than a decade he worked at Carroll College. He loved working at the college, making lifelong friends with many of the staff members, from the maintenance department to the professor's lounge. He became involved in nearly every department, from biology to chemistry to his personal favorite—the nursing program. His jovial rapport with the nursing students led him to

volunteer each year helping nursing students gain experience and confidence practicing their assessment and communication skills. After his retirement from Carroll College in 2020, and due to his extensive mechanical knowledge, Bernie let himself be talked into taking a part-time job at Mountain Stihl performing small engine repair. The owner, Tom Sutton, claimed that Bernie was "the best mechanic I've ever had." Bernie loved working on lawn mowers, weed eaters, and other power tools. He told his sons that after a lifetime of working on engines of every sort, he loved that he could still learn something new every day. His appetite and joy for the process of learning was one of his most admirable traits. Bernie spent most of his life looking for the next "project car," scoping back yards, fields, and junkyards.

Bernie was preceded in death by his parents, Bernard "Ben" and Esther Lordemann, his brother Paul Lordemann, his sister Donna Warner, his wife Susan (Ore) Lordemann, and his wife Colleen (Connelly Beechinor) Lordemann. He is survived by his son Anthony "Tony" (Lisa) Lordemann of Salt Lake City, his son Kevin Lordemann of Helena, his daughter Tracy (Bill) Lowe of Helena, his grandson Hunter Lowe of Helena, his sister Catherine (Steve) Foster of Moorhead MN, his brother David (Mei) Lordemann of Mountain View, CA, his sister Sharon (Ed) Tregidga of Helena, his step-children Mike Beechinor of White Sulphur Springs, MT, Kelly Ann (Paul) Shirley of Boise, ID, Shannon Koeplin of Boise, Shawna Beechinor of Boise, Kerri (Dan) Robinson of Boise, and five nephews and six nieces.

Bernard Lordemann was a caring father, brother, husband, uncle and friend. He left the world too soon, and will be missed by many. He will be remembered for his wit, his generosity, his kindness and his bold approach to life. He will always be loved and missed. God bless Bernie Lordemann forever.

A funeral mass will be held at the Cathedral of St. Helena March 24, at 12:00 PM, followed by interment of remains at Resurrection Cemetery.