Bernhardt leaves behind a lingering legacy

It only seems fitting that in the last year of his life, we would honor Henry Bernhardt with a parade.

Early last November, I spent an afternoon with Bernhardt at his house to reminisce about the original Salisbury-Spencer Christmas Parade, which eventually became the cherished Holiday Caravan.

Our conversation meandered off topic several times that day.

We talked about Bernhardt's days leading his own orchestra.

I couldn't believe the stories he had about judging beauty pageants across the country and serving as manager for Salisbury's only Miss North Carolina, Barbara Harris, in 1952.

In fact, he met his wife, Jo Ann, through a beauty pageant.

Bernhardt gave me the line he must have delivered a thousand times in his life, thinking back to the night in 1954 when he had recruited Jo Ann Beasley for the Miss Salisbury pageant only to have her back out the next morning.

"I got even with her by marrying her," he said.

There were all his memories about the Jaycees, being Catawba College's first development officer and setting up his own consulting firm.

Before I left, he urged me to return some day so I could see his collection of matchbook covers. He said he had close to a million of them downstairs — matchbooks he had been collecting from all over the country (and world) since he was a child.Some date back to the 1920s.

Back at the office, I wrote the matchbook cover idea on a list, and it was floating toward the top when I received word Saturday that Bernhardt had died. He was 84.Bernhardt dedicated his life to Salisbury and, in his many travels, had to be one of its great ambassadors.

When I think of the places he traveled in state and national positions with the Jaycees, as a beauty pageant judge, with his band, through his consulting firm and as president of his World War II infantry association, it hits me now how often he must have been telling people about his hometown.And when he was in Salisbury, Bernhardt was part of incredible things.

He established the Holiday Caravan as one of the best Christmas parades around, founded and served on the Salisbury Planning Board for 24 years, helped Salisbury become an All-America City, started the Chiefs Club at Catawba College and led some of the school's greatest fundraising drives.When It came to select members of the 250 Fest Committee, Bernhardt was a must appointee, especially since it called for a big parade.

In our conversation last November, we never touched on his World War II service, which was distinguished. He never mentioned his strong connections to Scouting or St. Luke's Episcopal Church.

Despite the diversions we did follow, we talked mostly of that first Holiday Caravan parade, how cold it was that day and how he had become the executive vice president of the merchants association, which put on the parade.It was a great afternoon.

Bernhardt was one of the people asked to be a grand marshal for the 2009 Holiday Caravan as it celebrated its 50th anniversary.

If we had known it would be his last parade, we probably would have struck a match, holding up a flame in his honor as he passed.

And Bernhardt probably would have asked for our matchbook covers.