Bernard F. “Bernie” Gibbons Jr., 66, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2025, at Hillcrest Commons in Pittsfield. Born in Great Barrington, on May 18, 1958, he was the son of the late Bernard F. Gibbons Sr. and Rosemary (Graham) Gibbons. Bernie attended local schools and graduated from Monument Mountain Regional High School, in the class of 1976.
Bernie worked for the Great Barrington Fire District in the 1980s. He also worked as a landscaper, house painter, at a lumber yard, and as a snow maker.
Those who knew Bernie well knew he loved cats. When he lived in Schenectady, he volunteered for many years with a wonderful fellow cat lover, Jane Demartino. Jane operated a cat rescue shelter in her home, and Bernie would take a bus to Jane’s and absolutely loved helping her and the kitties.
Bernie is survived by his son Dennis Graham Gibbons and partner Paige Kingdon, his sister Ann Gibbons and husband Joerg Klauck, his former wife and lifelong friend JoAnn Cahill, as well as cousins and extended family.
A service for Bernie will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at 11 a.m. The service will be led by Rev. William P. Murphy, with burial to follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Great Barrington.
The family would like to thank the wonderful professionals at Hillcrest Commons for the kind care they provided Bernie throughout his time there. The family also thanks HospiceCare in the Berkshires for helping make Bernie comfortable.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bernie’s memory may be made to the Berkshire Humane Society’s Purradise in Great Barrington in care of Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA. To send remembrances, please visit the funeral home’s website.
