Bernhard M. Vilkins

Bernhard “Berny” Manfred Vilkins of Union City, CA passed away on January 25, 2022, at the age of 67.

Born in Bielefeld, Germany on May 1, 1954, Berny was the second and youngest son to Edmunds and Lydia (Linke) Vilkins. He lived his early childhood years throughout Northern CA including Elk Grove, Kingsburg, Madera and Oakland. He lived much of his childhood and teen years in San Lorenzo and graduated from Arroyo High School in 1972.

Berny served in the United States Army as Sergeant and gained recognition as a Squad leader for the First Platoon, Bravo Company, 1^st Battalion, 16^th Infantry. He gained over 20 years of power plant experience where he worked as a maintenance supervisor for Cardinal Cogen at Stanford before retiring in 2015.

In 1978, Berny married the love of his life, Lydia Valenzuela, and together they raised two daughters, Marina and Summer. He was a proud Opa to granddaughter, Alxea. Berny was a loving, loyal, and proud husband, father and Opa. Protective by nature, he loved all his girls with his entire heart and there was never a moment too small for him to say, “I love you” to his family. He was witty, thoughtful, and compassionate.

If there was anything Berny loved as much as his family, it was playing golf. As a kid, he spent most of his time playing Skywest Golf Course and was a member of the Arroyo High School Golf Team where he was voted Most Valuable Player. More recently, he was a member of The NO-MADS Golf Club and enjoyed playing Mission Hills Golf Course in Hayward.

Berny was a dedicated sports fan. His favorite teams to cheer on were the Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland A’s and Stanford Women’s Basketball.

Berny is survived by his loving wife Lydia, daughters Marina and Summer, granddaughter Alxea, brother Edgar, brother-in-laws Benjy, Jerry, and Louie Valenzuela, and by his nephews and nieces and great nephews and nieces who he loved very much. He is also survived by cousins residing in Germany and Australia.