MONTGOMERY – 
David A. Berndt, 82, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2016 at Westfield Gardens Nursing Home. He was born in Pawtucket R.I. to the late William A. and Edith (Thornton) Berndt and grew up in Seekonk, MA. He was a graduate of Mount Herman High School in 1951, received his Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard in 1955. David served his country during Korea for two years, following his return home he graduated from Cornell Law School in 1960 and moved to Westfield that year. He spent the last 31 years in Montgomery in the home they built. He worked for Anderson & Beard and passed the bar exam in 1960. He has been practicing law for the past 56 years and was known as the farmer’s lawyer. His firm was in-house council for the former Woronoco Savings Bank for over 50 years. David served as a Selectman for two terms in Montgomery, former Westfield School Committee member for two terms, former chairman and clerk for the Sarah Gillette Foundation, and former chairman and treasurer at the Carson Center. David was a member and clerk of the First Congregational Church, a clerk at Westfield Academy and was an avid golf and tennis player. David was a child of the depression, World War II, The Cold War, and the atomic age. His classmate at Harvard University David Halberstam stated it made his classmates “serious, somber, and reasonable a skeptical generation”…..more modest about our career possibilities…..and did not think in terms of making millions and millions of dollars….How true!!!!. He is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Kendra L. (Pitman) Berndt, his loving children, David R. Berndt of Westfield, Matthew K. Berndt of Granville, John P. Berndt of Boise, Idaho and Granville and Pamela Vachon of Huntington, his brother William Berndt of Indian Harbor, FL, his sisters, Virginia Bescherer of Bristol R.I. and Joan Nelson of Charlestown R.I., 8 cherished grandchildren, Chad A. Berndt, Adrian S. Berndt, Chelsea E. Vachon, Tasha K. Vachon, Jocelyn Berndt, Alex Berndt, Benjamin Berndt and R. Jarod Vachon, two great-grandchildren Cordilia E. Berndt and Jayceon J. Vachon and many golf and tennis friends. He was predeceased by his son Peter W. Berndt, a brother Richard Berndt, and two sisters, Edith Bourbonais and Ruth Clark. A Funeral Service was held on Thursday at the First Congregational Church. Donations in memory of David may be made to the First Congregational Church, 18 Broad Street, Westfield, MA 01085. firtionadams.com
