We felt blessed to have Bernard as a friend and brother in law. He will be missed. Bernard’s paintings in our home are a beautiful reminder of his creative and amazing talents. May he rest in peace.
Linda and John Day
In Loving Memory
Bernard Jacob Simbari
1941•2026
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Obituary
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.
Tributes
This is a beautiful obituary but cannot possibly encompass the person Bernard was.
I absolutely adored my older twin brothers & idolized them when I was a child. I must have annoyed them both terribly but neither Bernard or Russell ever seemed annoyed.
I was so glad I had a few days with Bernard before he died. I will always treasure that.
I am praying for us all who loved Bernard. However I am so happy for Bernard, that he is now free, well & whole with God in Heaven.
Donna Jensen
One of the finest people I have ever known. RIP Bernie!
Priscilla Kawakami
Bill. I am so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful, wonderful man Bernard was. He touched so many lives. He taught me so much about resilience, joy, love, and perseverance. I am grateful for the times I worked with Bernard. Bill, i hope you find solace in the many hearts that he lives on in. You will see Bernard there in all of us. I will miss him dearly.
Heather Anne Hayes
I was a patient of Dr. Simbari's when I was a teenager in Sandy. He was THE BEST doctor and had a fabulous sense of humor. His practice was always bustling with patients, a testament to him and the way he cared for each one. What a great man!
Nicki Stoker
It is incomprehensible that my dear brother Bernard is gone. He was, in a sense, my alter-ego especially as children. Traveling through life took us in different directions as we achieved our unique goals, but we were always there for each other. His debilitating stroke was a cruel twist of fate, but he persevered through his disability to become a phenomenal artist which was his way of communicating. My forever thanks to Bill, Jenny, and Carol for the care they showered on Bernard through the years and especially during his last days. I'm grateful that his suffering is over.
RUSSELL D. SIMBARI
This breaks my heart but, oh, what a life he led and legacy he leaves behind. I'll never forget our trip to Cathedral Valley as we sat on his tailgate watching the blood moon rise and the music of Verdi's Requiem breaking the night sky.
My condolences to you, Bill, and to anyone else who was fortunate enough to know him.
scott perry
So sorry to hear the news. Lots of great memories, especially the fun learning about and collecting great arts and crafts. All my best to Bill and the family and friends.
Robert Austin
Bill our thought and love are with you. Barnard was amazing in so many ways, but how he touched me is his eye for beauty, design, art and living life. His sweet cards, his smile and excitement when we met, so full of life beyond many things I’ve experienced in this life.
Laura Boardman
Dear Bill and family,
It was with great sadness that I heard Bernard was gone. I haven’t had the privilege of seeing him for a couple of years, even so, it was always good just to know that this kind, generous and talented man was around persisting through adversity and expressing himself vibrantly through art even after having lost his ability to speak fluently. His house, such a beautiful place enhanced by his sympathetic, informed collecting remains an avenues cultural focal point in my imagination. Condolences.
Dan Bethel
Dan Bethel
Sharing life together for 13 years, my memories of Bernard have never stopped. Not many days go by that I don't have thoughts of Bernard. He opened my eyes to so many things. I am eternally grateful to him. He was more than kind to me from the time we met. I know that some day, I will again enjoy his companionship. Bernard & Russell lost their mother at such a young age. I think Bernard's restlessness, always looking for the next thing to fill the void, was a search for the mother he loved and missed. But nothing could help solve his search. I am sure that he is with his mother now and his quest is over. He is at peace.
My thoughts and prayers are with Russell, Jenny and Carol.
Michael Hardison
It was a great privilege to meet Bernard and Bill and become acquainted with Bernard's art and even get to have a favorite drawing of a twisted juniper tree. That piece, to me, represents all the beauty and angst of our lives that Bernard shared with the rest of us. Such great sorrow in saying farewell to Bernard, and such joy to have known him. My condolences to Bill and the rest of his family.
Mary Ann Wright
A wonderful young man to show most of us how to appreciate the world around us. His guidance will be greatly missed. God bless him.
Ronald Barski
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