Bernard Abram Quesada |
| Posted 2019-01-05 by Pat R |
| Wickenburg Sun (Wickenburg, Arizona) Wednesday, October 3, 2018, p. A-5 Bernard Abram Quesada April 9, 1925 - May 29, 2018 Bernard Abram Quesada bravely went to be with our Lord Jesus, May 29, 2018. Bernie was born in Wickenburg, Arizona on April 9, 1925. He was one of five children born to Jose Franco and Francisco Ocampo Quesada. He lived his life of 93 years with a spirit of optimism and adventure. He was a hard worker, vivacious learner of all things, and you could always find a book in his hand. He loved his family and was known for his lively sense of humor. He had a way of always making you feel like you were the most important person in the room. His lifetime spanned many eras of great change in our country, from the Great Depression and WWII, to the first moon landing and the Civil Rights movement, to the dawn of the internet and new technology that he became familiar with even in his '80s and '90s. Even at the age of 93, he was a competent internet user and emailer, and he made daily phone calls to family and close friends, until his final days. There is such a multitude of anecdotes relating to his life that we can't even begin to scratch the surface in this short eulogy. His wide variety of life experiences would span volumes. He was a father of five, a grandfather of 12, and a great-grandfather of 12. He had a deep love for the game of golf, surpassed only by his love for his wife Betsy, of 52 years. He met Betsy in 1957, and only a few months later on March 15th 1958, they took a trip to Las Vegas to get married. As the story goes, he went into a bar called The Farmhouse, to get a beer after playing a game of golf. In a journal entry Bernie wrote, "Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an absolutely gorgeous red-headed lady sitting at the end of the bar by herself." She was wearing a bathing suit and she had a giant German Shepherd police dog with her. She was quite a sight. In Bernie's words, "She turned and looked at me and I thought she smiled. I never left." Unbeknownst to Bernie, Betsy was engaged to be married the following week. But those plans quickly changed after Bernie walked into the bar that afternoon. They spent the next 52 years together. Bernie spent his childhood in Wickenburg, Arizona, playing with his sisters and brother along the banks of the Hassayampa River. His father was a vaquero and raised Bernie to be very skilled with horses. He had his own horse named Freckles. Together, Berie and Freckles passed the hours learning tricks and playing cowboy. Bernie attended the historical Little Red Schoolhouse in Wickenburg and graduated from Wickenburg High School in 1942. He attended Arizona State University in Tempe for a short time. He then served in the US Navy as Quartermaster, 2nd class, from 1943-45, during which he navigated by the stars, and guided aircraft carriers on long sea voyages. He was involved with the task force during the invasion of the Philippines. He was honorably discharged. After the Navy he served several years in the Merchant Marines, an opportunity that allowed him to see much of the world. When his time with the Merchant Marines ended, he settled in New Orleans for a little while, enjoying life as a young man. He shucked oysters on Bourbon Street to earn some extra cash. In 1956 one of his employers at the oyster bar offered him unique job opportunity that would forever change the course of his life. Bernie might have called it "destiny." The offer was to drive a Cadillac from Louisiana to Palm Springs. He agreed, thinking the destination was Palm Springs, Florida. He realized, a bit too late, that the destination was in fact, Palm Springs, Calif. And that is where he resided until 2000. It's a good thing, too, because that is where he met Betsy, and that is where he discovered his gift and passion for golfing. In 1956 his first job in Palm Springs was at the Thunderbird Country Club. He caddied and worked in the golf cart shop, so that he could play golf at the end of the day with his friends. In 1966, Bernie became the starter at La Quinta Country Club. He greeted the members with his classic optimism and made sure that they had memorable experiences at the club. It wouldn't be uncommon for Bernie to be invited to join the group to play. Bernie felt very blessed by his job and often said that it felt like he never had to work a day in his life. From 1980 he accepted a position at La Quinta Hotel Golf and Tennis Resort and in 1996-2000 he was a part of the membership drive for the Plantation Country Club in La Quinta. Over the years, Bernie's life was enriched by the golf industry and the friends he made. Several of these friends would last a lifetime-Ernie Vosler, Mike Carroll, Bob Taggard, Chuck Knox, Norm Kimball, Dave Evans, Mike Sidley, Bobby Thomas Sr. and others. The family would like to thank those people for being in Bernie's life. Bernie understood the true meaning of friendship, cultivating relationships from all corners of the world, that ran deep and lasted his lifetime. Upon his retirement in the late 2000 they settled for a time in LaBufadora, Baja, Mexico. They soon realized they wanted to be closer to their family, so in 2001, Bernie and his wife moved north to Bayside, Calif., to live across the street from their youngest daughter and their three grandchildren. There they got to spend quality time with their family and became part of the community. They loved to pick up their grandkids from school and attend all of their sporting events. They happily volunteered at the local senior center and became members of Lifehouse Humboldt church. During retirement, Bernie enjoyed having chats with his daughter Lori about the current football season and their favorite teams. He looked forward to these entertaining times with his daughter. Bernie often said that those years in California were the happiest years of his life. After Betsy passed away in 2010, Bernie and his beloved cat Annie moved in with his daughter until 2016. Wanting to return to his roots, Bernie made his final move to Wickenburg, his birthplace, reconnecting with his older sister, Alicia Quesada, and enjoyed the warm desert air that he missed so much while living in Northern California. He stayed active, going on walks and tending to his garden, and was a member of St. Anthony's Parrish. Bernie is survived by his five children, Shirley Dickenson, David Walker, Jo Sneathen, Lori Miller and Denise Fraga; his 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; his two sisters, Josephine Quesada Alvarez of Payson, and Alicia Otilia Quesada of Wickenburg. He is preceded in death by his wife Betsy Quesada; sister Dora Quesada; and his brother Eugenio Reynaldo Quesada. There will be a service held Saturday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. at St. Anthony's Parrish at 232 N. Tegner St., Wickenburg, AZ, followed by a gravesite service and a reception at My Father's Ranch at 3400 N. Jefferson St., Wickenburg. Family and friends are welcome. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in Mr. Quesada's name to: Jose Franco and Francisca Ocampo Quesada Research Award Endowment at ASU Foundation, administered by the Honor College at ASU, P.O. Box 2260 Tempe, AZ 85280. See Also: Find A Grave |
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