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GRAFTON, Mass. – Bernard S. Champion of Grafton died Feb. 1 in his sleep. He was 92.
He was born May 26, 1920, in Lawrence, Mass., to Francis and Ethel Bardsley Champion. He grew up in North Andover, graduated from Johnson High School and attended Merrimack College.
Champion served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean War, serving as a chief hospital corpsman and chief pharmacists mate and aboard the USS Madison, PC 477, USS Great Sitkin and USS Munsee.
He retired from the Navy in 1960 and worked in medical equipment sales for NCG. He was a member of Franklin Masonic Lodge in Grafton, a former member and past president of the Grafton Lion's Club, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Grafton and the Fleet Reserve.
He was a model train enthusiast and collector for many years, holding membership in the Providence and Worcester Train Club. He enjoyed woodworking, repairing clocks, playing bridge and gardening.
Champion is survived by his wife of 72 years, Theresa Klem Champion; four children, Linda (Anthony) Smith, of Mashpee, Mass., Beverly (Peter) Palermo, of Glastonbury, Conn., Raymond (Gayle) Champion, of Duncanville, Texas, and Cathy Rossetti, and her fiancé, Rick Brumett, of Grafton; two sisters, Thelma Champion, of Queensbury, N.Y., and Elaine Magowan, of Glens Falls, N.Y.; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Champion was predeceased by a brother, Ralph Champion.
Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Roney Funeral Home in Grafton. A service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in North Grafton. A committal service with military honors will follow at 3 p.m. at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass.
Memorial donations may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod, 255 Independence Drive, Hyannis, MA 02601, or a favorite charity.
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