John Bernreuter, age 72, of New Baden, passed away peacefully at 4:35 a.m. Friday, April 30, 2021 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in O’Fallon, IL.
John was a much-welcomed early Christmas present for his parents. He was born in East St. Louis, IL, as the son of the late Edward and Elizabeth (Kaminky) Bernreuter. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Mae Carey, and two brothers-in-law, James Thomasson and Cecil Carey.
He is survived and will be missed tremendously by his best friend and partner in life, Carma-Lynn Pollock of New Baden, IL. He is also survived by his loving sister, Doris Thomasson and his niece, Diane O’Quinn.
John was a US Army Veteran who served his country proudly. He retired as an elevator mechanic from the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC), Local 3.
John was a modern-day Renaissance man who enjoyed life in many ways. He was a unique, talented, and multi-dimensional individual who will be missed by all that knew and loved him. He always had a welcoming smile, ready wit, and could talk easily to friends and strangers alike. John loved the many animals he shared and cared for over the years, particularly his dogs (Chadrack and Joey), his cat (Frankie) who would come running from a distance when he whistled and "Turk" his pet peacock whom he trained to eat out of his hand! John particularly looked forward to spring each year as it meant the end to the long winter and the anticipation of new adventures. It meant the beginning of garage sale season, the return of hummingbirds to feeders and birds to nests. John had a life-long passion for vintage 1950-1970 "muscle cars" and a skilled eye for details. He could accurately differentiate between the many different model years by identifying the slightest of changes to design and style.
His remains were cremated -- burial of his ashes will be at College Hill Cemetery, Lebanon, IL during a graveside service that will be on 21 May 2021 at 1:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his memory to "PedaltheCause" at
https://www.mypedalthecause.org/diy_profile.jsp?MemberID=154154. This worthwhile organization supports a "World without Cancer" by ensuring 100% of all donations are focused on cancer research.
His family would also like to thank the many wonderful Healthcare Professionals who cared for him throughout his illness and final days. They are: John Cochran VA Healthcare System (St Louis, MO), VA CBOC-Outpatient Clinic (Shiloh, IL), St. Elizabeth Hospital (O'Fallon, IL) and HSHS Hospice (O'Fallon, IL),