Paul Allen DeBernardi

Paul Allen DeBernardi was born in Minneapolis, MN October 20, 1952, to Judith (Ontko) and Leonard DeBernardi. His siblings are Steven DeBernardi, Joanne Wright, Ellen Michelson and Patricia Hince. Paul's interests growing up included sports and music. He and his family enjoyed many summers at the family's lake cabin on Alden Lake. He attended high school at Taft Preparatory Boarding School in Watertown, Connecticut where he lettered six times in football, wrestling and track and captained the wrestling team. The team hung a plaque naming Paul "Wrestler of the Decade" because he was the new England wrestling champion (in his weight class). He went on to attend the University of Minnesota where he earned a bachelor's degree (with distinction).

Over the next three years he taught junior and senior high school at Campbell Tintah High School while living in Wahpeton-Breckenridge, Minnesota. In addition to teaching English he directed the choir and school plays and coached the wrestling team. Paul then pursued a master's degree in industrial relations from the University of Minnesota's Graduate School.

Paul went on to launch his "long and successful corporate career." Focusing on sales and marketing in the technology industry, he worked for companies like Honeywell International Corporation, Hotel information systems and BellSouth company and Symantec. In 1994 Paul became one of about fifty employees who had joined Secure Computing Corporation. Paul's success with Secure computing led to many promotions and he became vice president. In 2008 when the company was acquired by McAfee Paul left and in 2010 launched his own business, the iBIZ Marketing Group LLC. He retired in 2023.

Paul's talents were not limited to business or sports, but also music. He had a beautiful singing voice and for a time he performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

In his later years of life, Paul became a born again Christian and spent a great amount of time studying and sharing his knowledge of the gospel. He also had a great love of the political world.

We will all miss you, Paul.