Randolf Conan Bernard

My beloved husband, Randolph Conan Bernard (Randy), passed away on September 15, 2026. He was a man of strong intellect, yet very kind and humble. He could tell a wise man from a fool but was clever enough not to let you know which one he thought you were.

He was born on June 12, 1969, on Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines to Jonathan Michael (“Mike”) Spector and Karen Scholes. Sadly, his parents divorced when Randy was still quite young, and in a courageous act of love, Mike allowed Ernest Bernard to adopt Randy when Karen remarried. Randy adored his Papa Bernard, who passed in 2019.

Randy graduated from Episcopal School of Acadiana in the class of 1987. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College and his Master of Arts from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He taught high school English at St. Thomas More High School and Lafayette High School. He then went into administration and at the time of his passing was the Lafayette Parish School System’s Academic Specialist for secondary English Language Arts and Librarians. His colleagues and work family were a huge support system for our family during this impossibly difficult time.

Randy spent many summers as a seasonal park ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park. That experience enriched his life and fueled his love for the mountains immeasurably.

So many people will cherish the memory of Randy, starting with me, his wife, Ramona “Mona” Abshire Bernard; my parents, Oscar and Marilyn Abshire; my brother, Lorne Abshire (Darlene); and my sister, Shannon Abshire Newsom (James); and all of the nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

His mother, Karen Scholes Hayhurst (Rex) will miss him dearly, as will his sister, Aimee Bernard Stork (Todd); his nephew, Riley; and his bonus siblings Mike Hayhurst (Jeanette) and Shelly Hayhurst McCrea (Ron) and their children.

He is also survived by his step mother, Rosslyn Steele Bernard; sister Kimberly Bernard Gonzalez (Joe); sister Wendy Bernard Smith (Jeremy); and brother Greg Guilbeau (Kim); nephew Benjamin Gamache; and their children. Sadly, his sister Rebecca Bernard Gamache preceded him in death.

Mike Spector also preceded Randy in death but left us with his precious siblings Sam Spector (Haven); Julia Spector Mancini (Jonah); Eli Spector (Naomi); Miriam Spector Gracia (Danny); and their children.

I also must mention Randy’s aunt, Loula Bernard Savoy (Darrell) and his Uncle Vince Bernard (Jane). They are Papa’s siblings and a huge part of his life.

All of us mentioned above give a hearty thanks to the staff and volunteers at Hospice of Acadiana’s Calcutta House. They took loving care of Randy, which was a comfort to us.