Bernard Francis Barcio

Bernard (Bernie) Francis Barcio, 84, of Indianapolis, passed away on Monday, February 20, 2023, peacefully, in his sleep, of natural causes. Bernie was born on October 10, 1938 in Cudahy, WI to the late Theodore and Stella (Nudi) Barcio, who immigrated to the United States from Italy.

Bernie was a lifelong intellectual. He earned his AB from Holy Cross Seminary (1960); Master of Arts from the University of Michigan (1962); and Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary) from Butler University (1986); and enjoyed a long and fruitful career as a beloved and accomplished teacher of Latin and classical Greek at the high school and university levels, attaining the honor of Indiana State Teacher of the Year in 1986.

He was the founder and director of Pompeiiana, a not-for-profit dedicated to the promotion of classical studies. Bernie mobilized Pompeiiana as a platform to promote the research of his fellow teachers, and to empower multiple generations of students, whose creative writing, cartoons, poetry, and translations were memorialized in the pages of the monthly Pompeiiana Newsletter, which Bernie published for three decades in the basement of the Barcio family’s Broad Ripple home, with the help of his wife Lillian, an independent newspaper publisher.

Bernie made headlines repeatedly throughout his teaching career, most notably as the founder and director of the National Catapult Contest, an achievement for which he was profiled in such media outlets as Sports Illustrated, NBC News, ABC News, and Seventeen Magazine. Bernie was renowned for his ability to connect with live audiences, bringing history to life on stage by vivifying the personas of ancient Roman figures while dressed in period garb, including a Roman Centurion costume originally created for the motion picture Ben Hur, donated to him by a collector of Hollywood memorabilia for the purpose of adding authenticity to his already esteemed performances.

Outside of the professional realm, Bernie was an adroit mandolin player, vicious RISK competitor, avid camper and hiker, world traveler, chef, gardener, and writer. He authored more than half a dozen books, ranging from historical fiction to memoir to travel writing to short stories to the design and construction of ancient catapults. His woodworking prowess was legendary among his family, friends, and neighbors, who number in the hundreds if not thousands, and whose kitchen counters have been made more beautiful and functional thanks to the presence of one or more of Bernie’s artful, handmade cutting and serving boards.

To have been treated to a meal at Bernie’s house was to be given the gift of thoughtfully and delectably prepared Italian specialties, such as stuffed shells in tomato sauce, homemade garlic bread, and fried Italian peppers (made from ingredients harvested from the back yard), and homemade wine (from grapes grown and stomped by Bernie and fermented in the bedroom closet).

Bernie was endowed with a deep and abiding faith in God, and was a devout member of Christ the King Parish, where he attended services daily, and never failed to show up in service to his fellow parishioners and to the Lord. Bernie was especially sustained by his faith after the untimely death of his beloved wife Lillian in 2004. Following Lillian’s passing, Bernie renamed his home “Casa di Coraggio,” Italian for House of Courage. His courage was fed unmistakably by his Christian faith, and by the fellowship, community, and inspiration he received from his biological family, Christian family, and daily prayers. Bernie uplifted the spirits of those who met him. Even when he was down or suffering, he sacrificed in service to others. He regularly tithed to the Church not only a share of his earthly treasure, but also his time and talent, hand-crafting and donating hundreds of wooden crucifixes to folks living in homeless shelters, donating scores of bushels of vegetables from his garden to those in need, and offering innumerable hours of his allotment of time reading to elderly residents of American Village Retirement Home. He was a teacher not only in his profession, but in his daily interactions.

Those lucky to live near him can no doubt recount their own heartwarming stories of moments made brighter and more profound thanks to a passing encounter with Bernie. Hundreds of dogs will suffer in his absence, noticing the diminishment of their allotment of treats now that the gentle and generous friend who once walked by their house daily and slipped them a milk bone from his pocket has been uplifted to his reward.

To sum up the impact of such a soul as Bernie Barcio in a single obituary is perhaps not possible, other than to say he was a wonderful human being who positively affected everyone who knew him, and who inspired others to imitate him in doing what is theirs to do to lessen each other’s suffering.

He is survived by his brother, Joe; daughter, Cyndi and son, Phillip; stepdaughters, Marsha, Sheryl, and Karen; nine step-grandkids; eight step-great grandkids; 12 step-great-great grandkids; and grand fur babies, Rocky and Cisco.

Bernie was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Lillian Rose; and scores of other cherished family members laid to their final rest in South Chicago, Milwaukee, Calabria, Sicily, and places far between – a number of whose graves Bernie regularly visited and helped to maintain.

Visitation will be held on Monday, February 27, 2023 from 3-7pm at Flanner Buchanan – Broad Ripple. A Funeral Mass will take place on Tuesday morning at 10am at Christ the King Catholic Church. Entombment will follow in Our Lady of Peace Cemetery.

To view a recording of the Funeral Mass, please click HERE.

In lieu of flowers and other gifts of remembrance, donations are encouraged to https://www.gofundme.com/f/bernie-barcio-scholarship-fund to establish a future scholarship fund in Bernie’s memory, to be offered to first generation Americans engaged in the study of classical languages at the university level.