Hesse, Bernard "Bernie" Charles of St. Paul slipped the surly bonds of earth late in the evening of Nov. 4, 2020. He was 83. Bernie was fascinated by numbers and loved to have accurate data. It surprised absolutely no one that after serving the U.S. Army in Germany he studied ac- counting at Mankato State University. In college he met and then married "Elizabeth Taylor" (Kathy Fallenstein). After years of working as an auditor at Blue Cross and Blue Shield he again raised no eyebrows when he went on to pass the CPA exam. In 1976 he joined the firm of McGladrey Hendrickson & Pullen as the first health care consultant in the Minneapolis office. He attained partnership, and after years of service retired in 1998. During the first five years of his retirement, when he was not golfing, traveling with Kathy and friends, riding his motorcycle, adjusting a thingamajig on his tractor up at "the shack" or freezing his kiester off in a deer stand, he was a passionate volunteer for SCORE. Bernie appreciated the value of a dollar. He always bought the best because he said you "paid less in the end." If he had dropped dead outside the Dollar Store he would have insisted with his last breath that we drag his body to the nearest Eddie Bauer. He loved a good joke and somehow made it even funnier when he messed up the punchline. He grew up during the tail end of the Great Depression on Van Buren Ave. and Victoria St. in Saint Paul's Frogtown neighborhood. He attended St. Agnes School. As an outgoing, fun-loving man and one of 10 children, he loved a big family gathering, especially one that included bratwurst, sauerkraut, potatoes, cold beer and most certainly a concertina. Maybe a hayride and some skeet shooting. Proud of his German-farmer roots, Bernie was not too shy to polka after a glass or two of liquid courage (we have video footage). Bernie was born to Marie and Lloyd Hesse at the Lynch Farm. He is preceded in death by his sons Jimmy and Matt, his wife Kathleen, his parents, and siblings Mary Jo Hesse, Joan McDermott, Bernice Adamiak and Gene Hesse. He will be greatly missed by siblings Don (Carol) Hesse, Dick (Rose) Hesse, Walt Hesse, Beverly Lachenmayer (Dick) and Sue Lyman. He holds a special place in the hearts of his son Robert and daughter Jacqueline (and favorite son-in-law Guy) as well his grandchildren Wolfe, Ava, Ben and Lindsay. Many thanks to the attention and love given to Bernie by lifelong friends Rich, Harlan, Norm, Len and Joe and Black Duck Louie, work friends Al and Jan, the Hesse and Fallenstein families, neighbors, his caregiver Patty and so many others as he navigated the late stages of dementia. Donations of any amount to the Bernard Hesse memorial fund at St. Agnes School, 530 Lafond Ave., St. Paul, MN 55103, are welcomed in lieu of flowers. Call 651-925-8880 for more information or to donate. Military committal service will be at Fort Snelling on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 at 1 p.m. Service to last approximately 15 minutes. Masks and social distancing required. For those able to attend the committal service in spirit only, please raise a glass in celebration of the life of Bernie at 1:15 on Nov. 18.

Published on November 15, 2020