Bernard Kichula, of Collingswood NJ, passed away suddenly on January 21, 2022.  Bernie was born and raised In Philadelphia, and was 76 years old.  He is survived by his wife, Susan Halladay-Kichula, his daughters Maureen Councillor and Meredith Romea (Michael), and their beautiful children, Madeline Councillor, Joshua Councillor, and Isabel and Ian Romea.  He is also survived by his stepson Christopher Halladay and his family, and brothers Michael (Donna), John (Linda), and sister Alice (Bud).

Throughout Bernie's childhood, he loved to run free, spend time with Uncle Willie and get into trouble.  In high school, he began to excel at running and ran for the Olney High School team, where he received many accolades.  He later graduated from Lincoln Technical School in Philadelphia, Freightliner Cab School in Portland, Oregon, and took general night courses at Temple University.

Bernie was drafted into the army in 1965 and was sent to Vietnam until 1967.  Those years would forever change him.  He married Kathleen Mulderig in 1967 and moved to Merchantville, NJ.  There they raised two beautiful daughters and he built a successful business at Tiedeken Bros in Camden.  He volunteered on the Merchantville Fire Department, coached countless teams, and did anything he could to help all the family, friends and neighbors around him.  He also spent those years pursuing one of his greatest passions, competing in triathlons, which he did from 1983-1997.  His daughters cheered him on and remember him as being the happiest when he was competing.  In 1992 he competed in nine triathlons, placing first in his age group six times, and second, third and fifth in the other races.  In 1993 he was written up in the Philadelphia Inquirer as he rose from 56 ^th place to 19 ^th place in the national standings for the 45-49 age group.

Bernie was also a master woodworker.  Whether he was rehabbing an old home for his family, building kayaks from scratch or supporting loved ones in their pursuit of home improvement, Bernie was always there with extensive knowledge and support.  His neighbors loved him because he was the "go to guy" when they needed help with anything, or just wanted to borrow one of his many tools.

Bernie and Sue were married on the beach in Loveladies, Long Beach Island in 2004, surrounded by barefoot family and friends.  It was a beautiful day in spite of multiple threatening hurricanes that month.  It was a lovely ceremony followed by a reception at the ocean front Dreamscape home they rented for the occasion.

Bernie taught Sue how to kayak, and of course his first rule was that you had to be turned over in the kayak to make sure you could get out of it and get to the surface safely.  Sue didn't do very well.  She got out of the boat underwater ok, but on the way up she hit her head on the kayak resulting in a mild concussion.  However, they enjoyed many years of kayaking at Long Beach Island and Cooper River.  They tried retirement in Florida in 2010, but then relocated back to New Jersey in 2011 because they missed their families and friends. They returned to Collingswood where they bought a fixer-upper in an absolutely beautiful location with a fantastic view of Cooper River.  Bernie totally rehabbed the house and built a lovely deck where they entertained or sat by themselves enjoying the view for many years.  Bernie will be deeply missed by all.  In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 4, 129 Veterans Lane, Haddonfield, NJ 08033  (dav.org)

A memorial service for Bernard Kichula will be held on Saturday, March 19,2022 at 11am, at Harleigh Cemetery (Veterans Section), 1640 Haddon Avenue, Camden, NJ.  Masks are required for those who are not vaccinated & boosted, and optional for those who are.