- Date Of Birth: September 17, 1942
- Date Of Death: January 30, 2007
- State: Indiana
Bernard M. Niedbalski
SOUTH BEND Mr. Bernard M. Niedbalski, 64, of South Bend passed away at 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 30, 2007 in his home.
Bernie was born on September 17, 1942, in South Bend, IN to Bernard and Josephine Niedbalski (Pankiewicz), who have both preceded him in death, along with his brother James S. Niedbalski.
Survivors include his wife Peggy, daughters Frances (Craig) Stefanovich, Kathy (Kevin) Marek, son David Lute, grandsons Cameron Stefanovich and Dylan and Tyler Marek, and one sister Vicki (Richard) Shamory.
Bernie, Coach or Bronk, as he was known to many, spent a majority of his life in South Bend where he worked as a teacher and coach for the South Bend Community School Corporation. Aside from enjoying the time he spent with his family, especially his grandsons, teaching and coaching the citys youth were his passions. Bernie won 22 city and conference championships in football, boys and girls basketball, baseball, and track while coaching at the middle and high school levels. One of these championships occurred in 1992 while coaching freshman football at Washington High School, a team on which his son had the honor of playing. This undefeated season included a victory over Penn High School. Bernie was the last South Bend coach to have two such victories over Penn in football, the other coming while coaching at LaSalle. Bernie was very proud of each of his players and students, for whom he cared deeply. Rarely did an errand out and about not result in an encounter with a former pupil whom he remembered by name years later. Bernie attended St. Joseph High School, South Bend, where he excelled at football. He was starter on the freshman football team at Ball State University in 1962. Later he played semi-pro football with the Ft. Wayne Warriors and in Atlantic City, NJ.
The family will receive friends from 4-7 p.m.
Services will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 3, 2007, at Christ the King Catholic Church, 52473 SR 933, South Bend, Indiana 46637, with Rev.
