John Bert

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — John T. Bert, 93, of Perryville died Thursday, March 24, 2016, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville.

He was born July 29, 1922, at Belgique, Missouri, the son of Theophile Joseph Bert and Bernice Theresa Mattingly Bert. He married Alice J. Carroll on March 17, 1945, and she preceded him in death Aug. 20, 2015.

John was a World War II Army veteran, where he served as a maintenance mechanic and later an Air Corps pilot. He was discharged as a first lieutenant in 1946.

John was employed in the banking industry for over 39 years, working for Home Trust Bank, which later became Mercantile Bank. He retired after rising to vice president in 1987. He also served his community as the Perry County public administrator.

John was a member of American Legion Post 133, VFW Post 4282, the Knights of Columbus, in which he was a third-degree knight, and the Holy Name Society. Formerly, he was a member of the Perryville Chamber of Commerce, the Perryville Optimist Club and also the Perryville Development Corp.

He deeply loved his parents, his community, his country, his wife and his children. He will be sorely missed by those who remember him and remain.

John is survived by four daughters, Theresa Bert (John Stevely) of Bradenton, Florida, Patricia (Gary) Rein of Long Beach, California, Judith Walker of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Nannette (Mike) Rich of Chesterfield, Missouri; two sons, Dr. Robert (Phyllis) Bert of Louisville, Kentucky, and Kenneth Bert of Temple Terrace, Florida; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, a sister and three brothers.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville. Parish prayers with the Knights of Columbus will be at 6 p.m., followed by a VFW service at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will continue from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Monday at Our Lady of Victory Parish in Sereno, Missouri, with the Rev. Rickey Valleroy officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery, with graveside military honors courtesy of American Legion Post 133 and the Delta Team.

Memorials may be made to Our Lady of Victory Parish.