Bernadine Marie Bartz

Bernadine Bartz passed away peacefully on April 1st, 2026, just over a Month since the passing of her Husband Jay Bartz in February. She passed in the care of Hospice at North Broward Hospital. Bernadine is survived by her children Alex Hexham and Lynn Ferraro, her husband Gino along with their children, Rachele and Matthew and his wife Taylor. Bernadine was a loving Mother and Grandmother who will be missed by all.

Bernadine was the daughter of James and Bernadine Richardson, she was born on September 2, 1939, in Kewanee, Illinois. Her family moved to Florida in 1947. She attended Ft. Lauderdale High School where she first met her husband, Jay Bartz.

After High School Bernadine worked in banking at First National Bank in Fort Lauderdale and did some modeling. Later she would meet and marry Ben Hexham and moved to Gross Pointe Shores, Michigan, where she had her children. She later divorced and moved back to Florida and lived in Vero Beach for a short while before returning to Fort Lauderdale to raise her children there. Later in life at her 40th High School reunion she would reunite with Jay where he finally found the courage to ask her out and they married shortly after on August 22, 1983. Two years later they would move in to help take care of her parents. But Bernadine and Jay always made time to travel extensively all over the world and US. She enjoyed watching sports, especially the Florida Panthers and Miami Heat. She lived a life she could be proud of, always putting her husband and family first.

She will be missed.