Bernard Jacob Simbari

Bernard was born October 28,1941 to parents Bernard Samuel and Sophia Sotinsky Simbari in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Bernard claimed that the greatest influence in his youth was his twin brother Russell. And despite a difficult childhood they supported each other to accomplish their educational goals, which culminated in both graduating medical school from the University of Florida.

He did his internship and one year of internal medicine residency at the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. There he met and married Carol Kowallis. Two years later their daughter, Jenny, arrived to bless their home.

Due to the Vietnam War Bernard was drafted into the Air Force for two years. After receiving training at the USAF School of Aerospace medicine in San Antonio, Texas he was sent to Columbus Air Force Base as a Captain and flight surgeon.

After his discharge Bernard and his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he worked in an emergency room and took vocal lessons. Music was always an important part of his life. He listened to Opera as a steady diet. Later he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to complete a residency in dermatology. There he was able to perform in the city productions of Die Fledermaus and The Merry Widow and was Emile in the musical South Pacific. He also sang in the chorus in the Milwaukee Opera Company's productions of Rigoletto and Tannhauser. Later in Salt Lake City at Theater 138 he had a lead role in the musical Philemon.

He opened his private medical practice in Salt Lake on July 1975. As he was throughout his medical training, Bernard brought knowledge, kindness, and humor to his patients. During this time Bernard and Carol separated and later divorced, but their friendship for each other remained.

In 1984, Bernard purchased a 1906 Tudor Arts and Crafts home in the Salt Lake City Avenues and proceeded to lovingly restore it. He travelled to Sandersons in London for William Morris fabrics and wallpaper. He also began purchasing original period furnishings. Bernard continued voice lessons and hosted “musicales”-informal performance sessions of fellow trained singers and musicians.

Bernard was a master traveler, visiting Egypt, India and Hong Kong as well as Italy over 10 times (becoming fluent in Italian) as well as locales closer to home for medical meetings. He enjoyed tent camping in Southern Utah, was a naturally talented cook, and kept fit by biking, swimming and cross-country skiing.

In 1995, Bernard helped mount “The Bungalow Lifestyle” exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Art, loaning furniture, art pottery and other furnishings from the house. In 1996, Bernard met Bill Barnett at QUAC Masters swimming group and soon afterwards began a 30-year marriage (legally married in Utah in 2013). With QUAC, the two attended international swim meets in the U.S. where Bernard was a gold-medal backstroker in Masters age group swimming.

In 2007, Bernard suffered a stroke while at work. This left him hemiplegic with difficulty speaking. He was forced to close his medical practice. Language Recovery Camp at the University of Michigan that summer and lots of speech therapy/group speech therapy helped as did thrice weekly exercise wearing a leg brace at the U. of U’s Skaggs Rehab and Wellness Center. In 2008, Bernard started art and music therapy and discovered his ability to draw with his non-dominant hand. As an offshoot of therapy, he started producing colored pen paintings and soon was having shows and exhibits of this artwork. In 2013, Bernard was awarded “Success After Stroke” certificate from the American Heart and Stroke Assoc. and was Featured Artist at the Avenues Street Fair. He continued to produce and sell his artwork even after a small stroke in December of 2025. Bernard was multitalented, with many natural talents, and will leave behind a legacy of compassion and generosity.

His family has always been important in his life and he is survived by his devoted husband Bill, his loving daughter Jenny; His beloved siblings Russell (Ted deceased), Donna Jensen (Rod), and Teresa Moyer (Tony), and his three nephews and niece: Ronnie (Ami), Luke (Mary), Ryan (Brooke) and Rachel (Cole.) Preceded in death, Devyn Simbari (brother).

A viewing will be held on Saturday, June 6, at Larkin Mortuary on South Temple, from 5:30-8:30pm, and a celebration of his life will be held later this summer.