Submitted By: Mary Jo Koran
Article published Feb 1, 2007
Bernard M. Niedbalski
Sept. 17, 1942 - Jan. 30, 2007
SOUTH BEND - Mr. Bernard M. Niedbalski, 64, passed away at 9:00
p.m. Tuesday in his home. Survivors include his wife, Peggy;
daughters, Frances (Craig) Stefanovich and Kathy (Kevin) Marek; a
son, David Lute; grandsons, Cameron Stefanovich, and Dylan and
Tyler Marek; and a sister, Vicki (Richard) Shamory. Friends may
call from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday in Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N.
Bendix Drive, where a parish Rosary will be at 4:30 p.m. Services
will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Christ the King Catholic Church,
South Bend.
Article published Feb 2, 2007
Bernard M. Niedbalski
Sept. 17, 1942 - Jan. 30, 2007
SOUTH BEND - Mr.
Bernard M. Niedbalski, 64, of South Bend, passed away at 9:00
p.m. Tuesday, January 30, 2007, in his home.
Bernie was born
on September 17, 1942, in South Bend, IN, to Bernard and
Josephine Niedbalski (), who have both preceded him in death
along with his brother, James S. Niedbalski.
Survivors include
his wife, Peggy; daughters, Frances (Craig) Stefanovich and Kathy
(Kevin) Marek; son, David Lute; grandsons, Cameron Stefanovich,
and Dylan and Tyler Marek; and a sister, Vicki (Richard) Shamory.
Bernie,
"Coach" or "Bronk," as he was known to many,
spent a majority of his life in South Bend where he worked as a
teacher and coach for the South Bend Community School
Corporation. Aside from enjoying the time he spent with his
family, especially his grandsons, teaching and coaching the
city's youth were his passions. Bernie won 22 city and conference
championships in football, boys and girls basketball, baseball
and track while coaching at the middle and high school levels.
One of these championships occurred in 1992 while coaching
freshman football at Washington High School, a team on which his
son had the honor of playing. This undefeated season included a
victory over Penn High School. Bernie was the last South Bend
coach to have two such victories over Penn in football, the other
coming while coaching at LaSalle. Bernie was very proud of each
of his players and students, for whom he cared deeply. Rarely did
an errand out and about not result in an encounter with a former
pupil whom he remembered by name years later.
Bernie attended St.
Joseph High School, South Bend, where he excelled at football. He
was starter on the freshman football team at Ball State University
in 1962. Later he played semi-pro football with the Ft. Wayne
Warriors and in Atlantic City, NJ. He won multiple league
championships playing pass-ball football for DeVos Funeral Home
with friends. Bernie loved spending time in his garden where a
red tomato or cucumber would not go unpicked. He received a
bachelor's and a master's degree from Indiana University. Bernie
was also the former director of the Boys and Girls Club in Bloomington,
IN.
The family will
receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. today, February 2, 2007, at the
Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, Indiana,
(277-4444), where a parish Rosary will be held at 4:30 p.m.
Services will
begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 3, 2007, in Christ the King
Catholic Church, 52473 SR 933, South Bend, IN 46637, with Rev.
Neil Wack, CSC, celebrating the Mass of Christian Burial.
Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, South Bend, Indiana.
Memorial
contributions may be made to Christ the King Catholic Church.
To send
condolences online, please visit Kaniewski.com.