Punki

Hunki and I fly to DUS every three years to attend a show called Euroshop. When we do, we always have dinner with bernie at the Cafe Bernstein, which many of you may remember was bernie's favorite hang out.

This year we were unable to reach him and started to do some investigation as to his whereabouts.

Sadly, we learned that he passed away on February 1st, 2006. It makes me so sad that so much time has passed without an official announcement.

He gave so much of his time and energy to build up our frequent flyer community. What amazing memories he made for me--the goose dinner, face painting in his dining room, cruising on the Rhein, much alt consumption at the City Hall party, and great evenings of dancing in various bars. He made our lives much richer.

I am praying that his last flight was his very best and that he is preparing to joyfully celebrate his second anniversary in heaven tomorow.

SkiAdcock

Bernie organized wonderful "DUS Dos", my formal introduction to real Dos on FT, and 2 of which I was lucky enough to attend. He set a high standard for organized Dos, and everyone had a great time, from dinner at the Radio Tower, to drinks at a castle, to a riverboat cruise & jazz nights.

Here are pics from the DUS Do 2004:

http://public.fotki.com/SkiAdcock/fl...v_-_june_2004/

R.I.P. Bernie - we'll toast you with an Alt.

Spiff

That would explain why I could not connect with him via phone or email in March.

May he rest in peace. The "Weekend at Bernie's" dos in DUS were wonderful events.

Cholula

I never had the honor of meeting bernie in person but I have heard so many fine stories and comments about him over the years.

I might also add that bernie's last time logging onto FlyerTalk was on the day he passed away. And that among many other things goes to show you how devoted he was to FlyerTalk.

Let me add a RIP to those that have already weighed in here.

Starwood Lurker

Memory eternal.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

kokonutz

He brought a lot of fun and happiness to many, myself included. And that's the highest praise there is imho.

I'll raise an alt to his memory myself tonight.

beaubo

Met so many FTers at DUS-Do '04 thanks to bernie's initiative and effort.

Go In Peace, Bernard!

ozstamps

So sad to hear .. he was a great guy.

Bernie and Rudi and I hatched the first "Dus Doos" nearly 7 years ago on this thread page:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...7&page=2&pp=30

And many old timers will recognise many on that very page attended Dus #1 .. tom911, Mizu, kokonutz, etc

It later became a Community thread.

That Doo #1 became a reality and 2 more followed - each better than the other, and I was privileged to attend them all.

Bernie as all know who attended any of the Dus Doos was the SUPREME organiser, and a generous host, turning over his downtown apartment for drinks and party and face painting etc.

I recall several of us logging onto FT under each other's handles on his then huge screen laptop, creating minor riots in some quarters.

I can still visualise him choking and grimacing and spluttering after his first taste of Vegemite in his kitchen.

I once later bumped into him by chance once at Buenos Aires airport concourse .. FT is a small world. I recall we caught in SYD at some point too.

Vale Bernie .. the coffee up there will hopefully be on a par with Bernsteins. ^

ozstamps

For those that never met him, a nice photo from Sharon's album of Bernie -


http://public.fotki.com/SkiAdcock/fl...3-032-14a.html


This is Bernie having a break at the fully catered meal stop he had organised - half way around about special chartered trolley car tour of downtown DUS.

This was all set up alongside the train track ... the trolley car just stopped, and we had waiter service dinner laid on.

Bernie not only charted the government trolley car for hours, but even had its roller sign up top centre to read FLYER TALK PARTY or something like that.

An incredibly thorough organiser.

zvezda

I met Bernie at DUS III in 2003. I'm still grateful for his hospitality and a very well-organized Do. I'm confident that his friends and family have many warm memories.

squeakr

and thanks Punki for sharing this info..I know any FT'ers who had been the recipients of his gracious hospitality had wondered what had happened to him.

jerry a. laska

My attempts to contact Bernie last year were also for naught. Thanks Punki for following through and for letting us know.

DUS I (Alt! Alt! Alt!) was one of my first FT Do's and was an incredibly fun and enjoyable event. The others I attended were no less enjoyable and starstudded affairs. Bernie was the consummate event planner for these dos and was the most gracious and patient host with the dozens of people who descended on his city and home to overindulge in food, drink, and cigars. He organized outings and negotiated rates and expended a tremendous amount of time to ensure the happiness of a large group of individuals who were all strangers to him when it started. Sitting on Bernie's deck, eating vegemite (Bernie wasn't the only one grimacing as I remember it), cruising, ending up at Cafe Bernstein, and the other DUS memories and people (Anna, Belle, BB, Scott, Rudi and Gisela, GK, Oz, Ski, Punk and Hunk, Koko, AuH20, Beau, Cigar, et al) are some of my most treasured FT memories. While I am saddened by Bernie's passing, my memories and pictures of those events have also brought a big smile to my face.

magic111

DUS DO 1 - was also my first FT DO and I promptly started calling it "Weekend at bernie's"

After that Jerrie attended along with me every event hosted by bernie in Dusseldorf and some great memories were accumulated.

To quote Punki - "May our dear FlyerTalk friend bernie R.I.P."

Rudi

it was my pleasure to assist bernie for organizing his first Düsseldorf FlyerTalk-Do (together with Mizu: he did invite me and Mizu some weeks before that Do (the nov-11 carneval start Do in Düsseldorf) to visit him and help him preparing.

In the early FlyerTalk days he was surprised when he learned about the specific advantages of (his home country airline) miles&more program (expecially about the 2 years + status period) compared with UA' Mileage Plus program that he used so far.

When I heard early yesterday from Punki about the impossibility to contact bernie I did inform immediately Gisela and she now sadly got the information and confirmation from Düsseldorf associates that bernie lost his life in early 2006.

I am very sad, and Gisela told me the sad news in tears.

wingless

Some how I already knew this.

I will never forget Bernie and the Dus Do's he put together.

My Memories:

-Do not have an hangover and attempt to have dinner in a rotating restaurant
-Tapping the mini kegs of alt at the alt tent
- Lunch in a real castle drinking some red stuff...what was that?
- Seeing the old wooden train pull up and seeing the name PARTY BAHN as the destination for our personal train
- The Party Bahn stopping near the University for Paella and Alt
- The scary painted faces of the people in the carnaval parade
- Side cars with Rudi and Bernie at the hotel
- Jazz Fest music
-Rhein cruise with alt of course

Alt Alt Alt Alt Alt Bernie.....