Bernardo Taormina, 87

Bernardo Taormina, 87, a United States Navy and World War II veteran, died of natural causes on May 28, 2011, in Kalispell.

He was born May 26, 1924, at St. Louis, Mo., and was educated there at Hadley Tech. He served as a naval aviator from 1941 to 1947 in the South and Western Pacific; in the Guadalcanal, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Japan campaigns. He was wounded in battle and highly decorated with many medals for his heroism and actions against enemy forces.

He married June Smith of Clearlake Highlands, Calif., in St. Louis on April 28, 1946, at Mass in Lourdes Catholic Church.  He completed his enlistment in California after the war. He finished his education after discharge from the Navy and settled there. He worked for the United States Civil Service in the Aircraft, Ballistic Missile and Space system design and development programs, participating in the Atlas Mercury and Centaur Space programs and the Ballistic Atlas and Minuteman Development and Deployment, during which he was on the site selection team which selected Vandenberg Air Force Base as the Western Missile test, launch and training facility. He was involved in the flight testing there and at Cape Canaveral and Edwards Air Force Base.

He moved his family to Great Falls in 1964, and was the Site Activation Task Force Program Manager for the construction and placement of the last Minuteman ICBM Squadron assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base. After modernization of the other in-place missiles, he retired in March 1967, and started his second career in the construction field with United Industries, Northern Materials Division in Great Falls, in a management capacity. He retired in March 1983, moving to the Somers-Lakeside area at Flathead Lake.  He purchased and remodeled a then 96-year-old handhewn log home and lived there until his death.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing and backpacking with his family. His hobbies were gardening, woodworking and the outdoors. Besides his wife and children, his love was the lay ministry for St. Ann's Catholic Church in Somers.  Ben left his mark by his service to his country and everything he accomplished in life.  His great smile was infectious to everyone. In Ben's own words, "Que Sera, Sera."

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, June, children Margaret Taormina Sutherland (Will), of Aloha, Ore.; Theresa Taormina Rupnow, (Bill) of Great Falls; and Steven Taormina (Karen), of Ontario, Ore.; a sister, Pearl Oliver, of Normandy, Mo; eight grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Giuseppe and Giuseppa Taormina; two brothers, Sam and Angelo Taormina; and two sisters, Nellie Tosto and Josie Epifonio.

Mass of Christian Burial for Ben will be held on Saturday, June 4, at 11 a.m. at St. Matthew's Catholic Church. There will be a visitation for Ben at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home on Friday, June 3, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and a Rosary service will follow at 7 p.m. Burial will be in Great Falls. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for Ben's family. You are invited to go to ww.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences and view Ben's tribute wall.