Bernie Bouffard, founder of beloved Sudbury used bookstore Bay Used Books, passed away Nov. 16 at the age of 86.
He is survived by his wife, Françoise, four children and eight grandchildren.
Born in Verner to Albert Bouffard and Emma (née Beauparlant), Bouffard lost both his parents at a young age, a loss that shaped his determination and perseverance throughout his life, said his obituary.
In 1960, he married his high school sweetheart, Fran, and together they celebrated 65 years of marriage this past September.
After a brief period working underground at Inco in the early 1960s, Bouffard moved his young family to North Bay to begin his professional journey as a bookkeeper-controller at Firestone, his obituary said.
He continued to grow his accounting expertise with other employers until he was ready to pursue his dream of owning his own business.
That dream took shape when Bernie and Fran moved their family back to Sudbury in 1975 to open Bay Confectionary on Lasalle Boulevard.
From the beginning, his goal was to convert the store into a used bookstore — a vision they realized over time by steadily replacing groceries with an ever-increasing number of books, said Bouffard’s obituary.
Eventually, they renamed the business Bay Used Books, which he and Fran operated together for 30 years.
“The second location here on Elm Street was started in the 1980s and would eventually become the only location until it was bought by Bernie’s daughter and son-in-law in 2004,” said a social media post by Bay Used Books.
“Bernie loved his Westerns, and he was thrilled to celebrate both our 30th and, more recently, our 50th anniversary with us. He was incredibly proud of this bookstore and the community that helped it grow.”
Bouffard’s entrepreneurial spirit lives on through his children: Anne continued to build Bay Used Books; Marc founded Bay Sharpening; Normand created Skater’s Edge; and Daniel became the owner of the Lavigne Tavern.
Bouffard found joy in entertaining family and friends in Hollywood, Florida and at his summer home at Lakewood Resort in Lavigne, said his obituary. He was well known for his love of card games and his remarkable storytelling.
He was especially fond of recounting his hitchhiking adventure with a classmate from Ottawa to Sudbury when they were just 14. That classmate? Alex Trebek.
“Through his stories, he inspired his children and grandchildren with values of education and hard work,” said his obituary.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Bernard’s memory be made to the Alzheimer Society Sudbury-Manitoulin North Bay & Districts.
A celebration of life for Bouffard will be held this spring.
Bay Used Books is inviting people to share their memories of Bouffard on the store’s Facebook page.