Joshua M. Bernot OD

Josh was taken too soon Monday, April 22, 2013, at the age of 30. He and a friend were on the final day of a two-day backcountry ski excursion in Glacier National Park. The pair were skiing in an area known as Young's Peak when Josh fell down a cliff. Josh was born June 25, 1982, in Cleveland. He was a graduate of Mentor High School and John Carroll University in Cleveland. He went on to receive his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, where he met his wife Kim. They settled in the beautiful Okanagan region of British Columbia, in the town of Kelowna, where he began to practice optometry. Josh fell in love with the Okanagan and all of the outdoor activities it offered. He loved skiing, bicycling, hiking and camping. He was an accomplished trail runner. He participated in and helped organize the Kelowna soccer and ultimate frisbee leagues. Josh had as much passion for his work as he did for the outdoors. His patients were incredibly loyal and the staff where he worked loved him. Josh was a caring and compassionate man who touched many lives. He took part in mission trips to Mexico and Morocco to provide eye exams and glasses to those in need. He was a volunteer dog walker for the Kelowna SPCA. He lived life to the fullest. Josh is survived by his loving wife, Kim, his parents, John and Jackie; sister, Natalie; brother, Alex; his paternal grandparents, Mildred and John Bernot; and many aunts, uncles and cousins. He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Janet and James Meglich. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 3, 2013, at St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church, 9114 Lakeshore Blvd., Mentor. (PLEASE MEET AT THE CHURCH.) The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor. The family requests that you bring your old eyeglasses to the visitation so they may carry on Josh's mission to provide sight to the needy. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Optometry Giving Sight at http://www.givingsight.org/. Online obituary at www.brunners.com.

Joshua M. Bernot OD

June 25, 1982 - April 22, 2013