Todd James Bernin was born March 4, 1958 in Evanston, Illinois, and passed away peacefully at the family home in Mt. Prospect, Illinois on January 28, 2015.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Jean Bernin, and survived by his father, Victor Bernin, his four siblings: Vicki, Scott, Mark and Cindy, his three nieces and great-niece and nephew.
Todd graduated from Prospect High School after which he became co-owner of Southland Audio, Inc. His business interests allowed him to travel extensively across the US. These trips included extended stints in Denver, San Diego, Atlanta and Detroit, fostering his lifelong passion for travel. One of his favorite journeys was a trip to Sweden with his family to explore the family’s heritage and roots. Todd later went on to earn a degree in Computer Sciences from the University of Minnesota in St. Cloud where he graduated with honors. Following graduation he lived in Minneapolis and worked as a Systems Analyst for a number of companies including IBM and Cargill. Living in Minnesota provided Todd with abundant opportunity to pursue his love of the outdoors including hiking and golf. He especially loved to fish at the family cabin in Webster, Wisconsin where endless shenanigans with his cousins, the “Thill Boys,” was a source of delight for the entire family. Todd was a voracious reader, as well as a lover of film and music. He particularly enjoyed attending live rock concerts, and with his encyclopedic knowledge of musicians, regaled friends with stories of musicians ranging from The Who, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, and the Grateful Dead to lesser known artists such as Roy Buchanan, Rory Gallagher, and Larry Coryell. Todd adored his three nieces, and repeatedly cited playing with them, on their native California beaches, as one of the highlights of his life. Perhaps more than anything, Todd will be remembered for his generous nature, sense of humor and loyal support of friends and family. The Bernin family gratefully acknowledges Todd’s cherished group of friends, the “Wanderers,” his AA support group of many years.
An open house memorial for Todd will be held on Sunday, February 8th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Bernin home.