Lawrence Bernard "Bernie" Hewitt

Lawrence Bernard “Bernie” Hewitt, 73, was called by the Lord on February 28, 2020, with his wife, Artie, daughter, Anna and granddaughter, Carly Hewitt by his side. A funeral liturgy will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Ann’s Cathedral in Great Falls followed by inurnment at Mount Olivet Columbarium. A celebration of life will be held at the Heisey Community Center from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bernie was born March 22, 1946, in Butte, MT to Robert and Ann E. Hewitt. He spent his early years in Centerville, a suburb of Butte.There he grew up with his brothers, John and Jim Hewitt. He caused plenty of trouble with his brothers. They would throw snowballs at cars, hook onto tailgates of cars and buses to be pulled on the snowy streets and setting off fireworks that would take flight ending up taking clothing off the clothes lines of close by neighbors. He played basketball at St. Lawrence Catholic School and went on to win the Class A Championship in the Catholic Youth Organization in 1961. He attended Butte High School and graduated in 1964. He went to Montana Tech but quit to serve his country. His brother, Jim took him to the airport and told him, “Here today, Guam tomorrow.” Bernie had no idea where he was going be stationed. When he got to his final destination, to his surprise, he was in Guam! He proudly served his country in the Vietnam War. When he returned home from Vietnam, he went to work for the Anaconda Company as an underground miner in Butte. He later met Artie in Walkerville (a suburb of Butte) and soon after, they were married at St. Lawrence Church. He had two children, Anna and Bernie Hewitt. He taught them the importance of respect, hard work, faith, and God. He was a devoted family man and was very proud of his children, all of whom he loved unconditionally. After being a miner, he was a salesman for Pittsburgh Paints, and a city bus driver. One of his favorite things to do was drive in puddles so that it would splash all over the kids. He did it because the teenagers would rush in front, and he wanted to teach them a lesson to respect their elders. In 1980, he became a maintenance engineer for the Butte Catholic Community North. He worked for Fr. Kevin O’Neill who later became a huge part of the family, who he greatly respected and loved. After he retired in 2008, he became a crossing guard for Sacajawea Elementary School from 2011 to 2018. He enjoyed being with the children and looked forward to seeing them every day. He loved his granddaughters, Carly, Morgen and Braelyn with all of his heart. He loved spending time with them. He picked them up from school every day and always went to their basketball, volleyball and school events. He shared a special bond with each of them and they meant the world to him. While Bernie had many special qualities, he was known for his kindness, good sense of humor, unending devotion to his family, and a deep faith and devotion to God. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Ann Hewitt; brother, John Hewitt; and son, Bernie Hewitt. He is survived by his loving wife, Artie Hewitt; daughter, Anna Hewitt, grandchildren, Carly Hewitt and Morgen, and Braelyn Hewitt-Holbein; brother, Jim (Cookie) Hewitt; and many nieces and nephews. Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.SchniderFuneralHome.com.