Bernard Jack Gebhardt

Bernard (Bear) Jack Gebhardt, 78, passed away March 26, 2024, at home in Fort Collins, Colorado, surrounded by his close family and loved ones. Bear was the middle son of Aneita and Bernard Gebhardt, who raised their three boys in the heart of Denver, Colorado. Both brothers, Robert and James, survive him as does his wife Suzanne, his son, Sam, daughter Annalee Moyers and 2 grandsons, Sten Moyers and Michael Gebhardt.

Bear's grandparents raised 8 children on a farm near Wellington, Colorado. He grew up with many aunts and uncles which brought together dozens of cousins on a regular basis throughout his childhood. He stayed in close touch with this large family for his entire life, often being the patriarch that helped to keep the family reunion tradition ongoing for decades.

Bear spent four years at Colorado State University and two years at Colorado University, Boulder. While an undergraduate at CSU he studied English literature and journalism and contributed to the university newspaper while editing a weekly literary magazine affiliated with the CSU Collegian. It was while he was at the Collegian that he met his wife and life-long close-knit group of friends. Many of these friends he was still seeing or speaking with on a regular basis days before he passed.

It was also while Bear was at the Collegian during the tumultuous 1960's that he turned toward social activism, becoming anchored in non-violent advocacy and working fervently toward peaceful conflict resolution, often campaigning for social and political change.

Because of his deep commitment to non-violence, Bear refused induction into the military during the Vietnam War and was consequently sentenced to two years of alternate service. To fulfill his obligation he founded The Point, a pioneering counseling center in Fort Collins that provided crucial support to those grappling with substance abuse, poverty and lack of services. The Point offered free medical services, psychological assistance and legal aid to its clients. Later the Fort Collins Food Co-op (still standing today) got its start through this same organization. Bear's passion for peace (both internally and externally) continued for the rest of his life, being the drive that filled his life with meaning.

He would often joke about his seven-year attention span when it came to careers. As a young man he would help with the harvest on his uncle's farm near Wellington. Later he counseled inmates at the Larimer County Detention Center, taught English at Colorado University, counseled and taught classes for smokers at the Northern Larimer County Health District, and was even a stockbroker for a short time. As he became more familiar with the business world, he opened his own business enjoying the hands-on opportunity to see a blue-collar, nose-to-the-grindstone business develop. But throughout his many careers, Bear remained a prolific writer. He published newsletters, wrote articles for professional magazines, poetry reviews, trade magazines and newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor and the Fort Collins Coloradoan, where he had a weekly column. He published a variety of books over the years and never lost his enthusiasm for reading and writing, often setting aside time in the early morning before work to crank out another story or article.

Bear was a seeker and a mystic. He spent his free time reading and studying notable scholars from many time periods and from all over the world. He was always interested in philosophizing with his many friends and acquaintances and truly enjoyed nothing more than contemplating the meaning of life with anyone who would like to engage. If you perused his extensive collection of books, you'd find thousands from all the historic and contemporary sages throughout time. Whether your interest was Buddhism, Hinduism, mystical Christianity or Judaism or many other well-known or obscure ideas, Bear could meet you there and have an engaging conversation about it. On any given day you would find Bear in his favorite chair surrounded by piles of books happily absorbing his latest find.

His friends and family meant a great deal to him, and he stayed in close touch with cousins, his brothers and their families and his dear friends here and abroad. He was active for many years in a much-loved men's book club, a Sunday morning discussion group, a Friday morning coffee clique, a monthly scrabble get-together, a pickleball team and with many college friends, feeling a deeply loving companionship with so many. He was dearly loved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.

Please join us for a memorial service on Friday, November 15th at 3:00 pm at Bohlender Funeral Chapel. 121 W Olive St, Fort Collins, CO 80524. In lieu of flowers consider making a donation to one of Bear's favorite charities:
Doctors Without Borders, Southern Poverty Law Center, Foodbank for Larimer County.