Dr. Bernard Joseph Offerman

Barney's Story "Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of them." This was Barney's favorite prayer. Bernard Offerman, our beloved Barney, and Grandpa Barney to his grandchildren, loved to pray this prayer! He was one of those joyful people who sees through the eyes of the heart. In his journey over the last couple of years he had been living in the present moment. He loved speaking from the heart about what really mattered to him! For those of us lucky enough to have experienced his joyful spirit, this is what would happen were you to walk into a room with Barney. You'd see his shining blue eyes, framed by his prominent eyebrows, spark and light up upon seeing your face. His smile would brighten the room. You'd hear the love in his chuckle as he announces like he always does, "You've got the spirit!" He was one of those few individuals who carries the spirit within him, and recognizes this spirit in everyone around him. Barney was always seeking connection and holding significant conversation. We would often hear, "I love your attitude!," and counted on him saying, "Tell me the good news with you!" He made us feel like we matter to him and to the world. Other than words of justice, peace, and love, there was one subject that stayed on his lips to his final day: Jan, his wife of 35 years. He always referred to himself as a "late bloomer" when it came to love, but that his patience rewarded him with the highest blessing. He saw a loving, open heart in her and felt absolutely blessed to have her. They were constantly on the go, supporting community events, visiting lifelong friends, and enriching their grandchildren's lives. Barney's life's work was in social justice and he never missed a chance to tell you how, "Justice is the public form of love." We also remember Barney's love for singing his beloved Irish songs, but his very favorite one being "The Rose." This song will forever bring us memories of him. Our beloved Barney was born on August 1st, 1930, seven days after the start of the Great Depression in Joliet, Illinois, to his mother Mary McGowan and his father Aloysius Offerman. He had two older siblings, Donald and Mary Fran. Barney's father died when Barney was very young and he and his siblings and young mom moved in with his grandparents on their farm. He had a delightful, close relationship to his bedridden grandfather and he would hear his stories by his bedside and read the newspaper to him. Barney loved to write about his grandfather and to tell us his stories about him. He wrote, "I felt blessed with such a patient audience for my 3rd grade reading level—not just in following my words but giving meaning to them with his spirit of plugging for the underdog. In my heart I believe that the attention of a grandchild lifted his spirits!" He often remembered his mother with great love, and his closeness and intimacy with her was always evident. The two of them suffered the loss of Barney's older brother in an accident and this brought them even closer together. Barney was only a teenager when this happened. Barney was a very industrious young man and he began working regularly at the post office at the age of 14. He was very proud of this! He was drafted into the military in June 1953 and served for two years in Georgia. This would be his first farewell to his mother in Joliet. He attended Loras college. Soon after he got a career opportunity with the Illinois Bell telephone company where he was eventually promoted to supervisor. While he was there his heart started to awaken spiritually and socially as he engaged with his Catholic parish. Social justice became his passion as he became part of the YCW, Young Christian Workers of his parish. These are his words about this experience. YWC was "a youth group that was committed to justice expressed by way of an 'Observe, Judge and Act' format... it included being involved with other young people across differences in race, sexual identity, religious and immigrant status.... From July 1955 to December 1958 I remained working for ILL BELL as my life with YCW became increasingly engaging and exciting to my heart as well as my mind. In that period in time... hours of social justice and sincere warm friendships multiplied... I became a renewed 'searcher' for more justice involvement and hopefully a life of social and religious fulfillment." While working at the telephone company he was offered a volunteer position working for the Democratic National Convention in 1956. Barney wrote, "My life took a political flavor for the first time in my adult work life. As a result I found myself in the midst of figures such as President Harry S Truman and vice presidential candidate John F Kennedy. My political convictions as a Democrat matured more and became more central to my life and my thinking." He said his second tearful farewell to his mother in Joliet when he moved south to New Orleans, Louisiana, to work with Father Toomey at Loyola University. Barney wrote "Father Toomey has a unique reputation at that time in the South: he was already famous, both among Jesuits and local New Orleans residents as a priest who believed in integration and equal justice for all people." Barney's labor education and racial justice work began in 1959. He spent six years with Father Toomey in the Institute for Human Relations. Father Toomey lovingly mentored Barney, who would eventually write several articles about Toomey. After this, Barney was appointed to work with the STAR adult literacy project in Mississippi where 1500 adults of diverse racial backgrounds were trained in literacy and citizenship. He got an MBA at Tulane University in Management and Labor Relations and a PhD in Organizational Behavior and Employment relations from Michigan State University. He eventually taught management and labor relations at Cleveland State University. Barney also served on the transitional team upon the election of Governor Richard Celeste in Ohio and in his administration for three years. While he was teaching there Barney decided to visit his good friend Jan from New Orleans and after that visit they would soon fall in love! Barney moved to Charlotte, married Janice Valder at the age of 55, and joined the Valder clan. He spent ten years in Charlotte as the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Business and Economics at Johnson C. Smith University, a traditionally African American Institution. He also began a "Lifelong Learning Center" for adults to return to school to complete their college degrees, or to take non-credit classes for their enrichment. Barney was honored by Creative Loafing as a local hero and this was written about him: "Barney Offerman is a beloved figure among Charlotte's progressive community admired as much for his integrity and wit as for his organizing abilities. He was also one of the movers behind the establishment of Charlotte's first homeless shelter and he gave critical support to the NC death penalty moratorium movement, various labor struggles and efforts to promote peace and immigrant rights." In an editorial in 1987, he wrote that Charlotte's progress "resides with the poor and the homeless among us who, unwittingly, may help us to recognize the difference between economic progress for the few as opposed to human progress for the many." Barney wrote several essays and articles through his work for social justice. Here are some excerpts from his writings: "The character of our Faith then is largely dependent upon justice among us! You seek to help the most vulnerable among us... Respecting the dignity of all is basic since the human person is the clearest reflection of the presence of God on earth." "Social justice enables people to claim and live the dignity inherent in being a creature of God" "Involuntary joblessness is 'America's form of torture...'" "Most crucial of all is the psychological cost to the individual. In our work oriented society a person becomes a 'nobody' when he or she loses a job... unemployment strips one of all dignity." "The cost of inaction is often not considered. Ignored is the price the community must pay for a mindless waste of human beings for undeveloped talent and discarded workers, for personal pathologies left untreated and for the indirect effects of neglect..." "Justice can be called the public form of love." After retiring in 1996, Barney became the Diocesan Director for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development until he retired in 2001. Barney nurtured so many loving friendships throughout his life and career! He kept up with them through long phone calls and frequent visits to Ohio and other places. He also loved to engage in conversation with his friends in Charlotte about the issues of the day. He would often engage local and national government to share his beloved principles of Catholic social justice teachings about working for the common good. He once had a long, fruitful discussion with Congressman Tillis, which shows his gentleness and respect for those who may disagree with him in his work. Barney and Jan continued to work for justice. Even until 2020, he was seen wearing his Cubs hat in city and community activities around Charlotte. He shared himself with his friends at his weekly men's group. In the last couple of years before 2020, he loved to engage all of us in conversations about climate change and living wage. Finally, Barney was a devoted grandfather to his beloved grandchildren David (Katie), Carolina (Fran), Daniel, Johanna (Cody), Rachel, and step-grandchildren Laurel and Joel, of Charlotte, NC; and Grace Rose, George Patrick, and Gabriel of Charleston, SC. He was quite active in his grandchildren/s lives, constantly engaging in conversation, going on trips, teaching, listening, and of course beating them all in Scrabble. His great-granddaughter, Ava Jane, was able to see his beautiful smile and twinkling eyes, and will grow up to hear many stories from her parents and relatives. He enjoyed time with his nieces Louanne Shea and Donna Wilson, and his great nieces Megan and Amy of Illinois. He participated in parties at his children's homes. His children and children-in-law are Stephen and Odette, Brenda and Tom, of Charlotte, and Netha and Kevin of Charleston, and finally Patrick, who passed away in 1990. Barney enjoyed wonderful trips with his family to Jackson Hole, New Orleans, Alaska, and even the great Ireland in 2018! Barney continued to love sports and the Chicago Cubs, his favorite team! Jan and Barney left their home in Dilworth and moved in February of 2019 to the Aldersgate community where Barney brought friendship and meaning to others and continued to advocate for the common good. He was lovingly cared for at Cuthbertson Village in Aldersgate the last year of his life. Barney, through his poems shares with us the treasures of his heart: Grace at Dawn: God's Welcome I awake in grace, God giving that first shot Of Eternal love, to help me start a new day I feel an openness to God's work in me And his world looks fresh and new again Ready to be experienced I tell myself: Make it a good day; make it unique Dress it in new garments, and live it as if There will never be another one like it. As I prepare for a day of simple joys, I put on the "new person." And finally he wrote in his journal on March 27, 2011 a prayer for all of us: Steal my heart dear God so that I can find it in your keeping. A heart with purity and the power of grace. You give me heart space that I never knew I had! I do not want a "sometime" heart, A heart that never cracks Or never shares what it's meant to be. I love a heart mellow enough to soften at a sound of a bird or a ring of a bell or a warm gust of air. May it also be penetrable and inclusive of all your creatures! Amen Barney was preceded in death by his parents Mary McGowan and Aloysius Offerman, siblings, Mary Fran Shea and Donald Offerman, and son Patrick Valder. He is survived by his wife Janice Valder-Offerman and their children Stephen (Odette) Valder and Brenda (Tom Sills) Clifton of Charlotte, and Netha (Kevin) Kreamer of Mt Pleasant, SC, and his nieces Luanne Shea and Donna (Ted) Wilson of Illinois. Barney is also survived by ten grandchildren, David (Katie), Carolina (Fran), Daniel, Johanna (Cody), Rachel, Grace Rose, George Patrick, Gabriel Fox, Laurel, Joel, two great-nieces, Megan and Amy and one great-grandchild, Ava Jane. We have all been impacted by Barney's gentle and welcoming spirit. While he supported many local and national programs, he always had a heart for his neighbor. In that spirit his family suggests donations in his memory be made to either the YWCA, which has decades of service in Charlotte and faithfully works towards an equitable Charlotte; or to the West Side Community Land Trust, which is developing permanently affordable housing to counteract displacement and build equity in Charlotte. And above all embrace the Spirit that Barney saw in all of us. YWCA website and donation link https://ywcacentralcarolinas.org/how-to-help/support-the-ywca West Side Community Land Trust WSCLT Recent Newsletter https://twitter.com/WestSide_CLT/status/1330153341368881157?s=01 Recent Observer Article https://amp.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article247757810.html?__twitter_impression=true&s=01 PayPal donation llink https://paypal.me/westsideclt?locale.x=en_US Website https://www.westsideclt.org/ Church service is private due to COVID-19. To watch a livestream of the service, please go to https://boxcast.tv/view/celebration-of-the-life-of-barney-offerman-o7nbuuucycz1sqwez4v1