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Bernard Rudberg Obituary

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Bernard Rudberg

Hopewell Junction, NY

May 1, 1932 - December 14, 2016

Bernard Rudberg Obituary

Bernard L. Rudberg passed away at Vassar Brothers Medical Center on December 14, 2016. He was born May 1, 1932 in Camden, New Jersey, to George Bernard Rudberg and Anna Christina Ahlstrom Rudberg. He grew up in Marlton and Franklinville, New Jersey, graduating from Clayton High School in 1951. In 1952, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, graduated from electronic technician school, and spent a year and a half in El Centro, California, and a year and a half on Guam. In 1956, he was hired as a customer engineer by I.B.M. On June 24, 1960, he married Marie Celeste Taylor at the Second Methodist Church, Millville, New Jersey. In 1964, he accepted a position as a technical writer for I.B.M. in Poughkeepsie. He spent eleven years in that position before becoming a hardware engineer working in Poughkeepsie, Danbury, and Kingston. Bernie retired from I.B.M. in 1991. In retirement, he became more involved in railroad history, as the grandson and great-grandson of railroad men in Sweden. He was always proud of his grandfather who was a conductor in Boden, Sweden, and his great-grandfather who was stationmaster where the railroad crossed the Arctic Circle. In 1997, he got involved with the newly-formed Hopewell Depot Restoration group, serving on the board until his death, as president for several years, and finally “historian emeritus”. Bernie wrote three books about the railroad in Hopewell Junction, and ten guide books for the annual CNE railway tour. He also gave frequent talks in the Hudson Valley and as far away as Maine and Massachusetts, becoming known as “Mr. Conductor.” Bernie was also interested in genealogy and served as a vice-president of the Dutchess County Genealogical Society. He also maintained the family tree with hundreds of photos of his Swedish family. In retirement, Bernie and his wife enjoyed traveling, making a cross-country road trip in 1987, road trips up and down the East Coast, many visits to California, plus travels to Sweden, England, Germany, Hawaii and Switzerland. Bernie is survived by his wife; three children: Steven of Staatsburg, Bruce and wife Lisa of Corona, California, and Nancy Sturm and husband Edward of Kingston; three grandchildren, Krista Rudberg and Dillon Rudberg of California, and Edward B. Sturm IV of Kingston; his brother-in-law and wife, David and Elfrieda Taylor of Millville, New Jersey; plus three nieces and many cousins in the United States, Sweden and U.K. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Barbara. A celebration of his life will be held at McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction on Saturday, January 7, 2017. Visitation will be from 2 – 4pm followed by a memorial service with military honors. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Hopewell Depot Restoration Corporation, P.O. Box 1044, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533. Please visit Bernie’s Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.

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