Obituary of Bernis C. Hays

Charles Bernis Hays, SMS USAF, of Sterling, died on March 5, 2009, at the age of 86. Born in Rowdy, Kentucky, Bernis enlisted in the service at the age of 16 and was deployed to Australia & New Guinea with the United States 5 th Air Force. Upon returning to the United States, he met and married Mabel Daniels, and gave birth to a son, Charles "Ricky" Hays. Bernis subsequently redeployed with his family to Japan for several years during the American occupation and reconstruction, followed by deployments to Saudi Arabia and the Phillipines. During his station at Andrews AFB, Bernis settled his family in the Washington D.C. area before serving a final deployment to Vietnam in 1967. Bernis retired from active military duty in 1971 with over 30 years of service to his credit. Bernis purchased his first house at age 18 and owned several properties throughout his life. He became a licensed real estate broker after retiring from the Air Force, and invested in real estate in both Maryland and Virginia. Eight years after Mabel's death in 1982, Bernis remarried Francis and gained a large and loving family. He was active in his local AFW and Elks Lodge chapters and attended unit reunions across the country to reconnect with friends with whom he was stationed abroad. Bernis was also an avid photographer, fisherman, and gardener and had a certain artistry for crafting slingshots for the children in his family. After moving to Sterling in 2002, Bernis became a devoted member of Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church. Bernis is survived by his granddaughters Letitia Hays, Brittany Jackson, and Jacinta Garbo, two brothers and two sisters. He is predeceased by his wives, Mabel and Francis, his son, Ricky, and his grandson, Sir Charles. A graveside memorial service will be held March 26 th at 10am at Arlington National Cemetery.