Maurice Arthur Bertrand, 82, of Treasure Island, Florida, passed away on May 3, 2018, at the Bay Pines VA Hospital. He was born in Biddeford, ME, and served his country in the United States Air Force.
A long-time resident of Pinellas County, he loved his “beach house” in Treasure Island that he moved to in 1977. Maurice initially worked at the Brown Derby Restaurant in St. Petersburg for a few years as a Bartender. He then went to work at the Grog Shoppe Bar at the Bilmar Beach Resort in Treasure Island and retired from there after thirty years.
Maurice traveled to many of the Caribbean islands and traveled to Europe with his son, Steve. He also saw a lot of the United States by visiting his children at the various places that they lived.
After he retired, he became an avid bike rider logging over 5,000 miles per year for many years by casually riding around the beach community he lived in. He would also sometimes, usually around his birthday, drive to various locations around the state and ride his bike around that area. Even as he advanced in years he still was biking over 2,000 miles a year.
He was known as a cheerful, kind and helpful person and was always looking for ways to assist his children and neighbors.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Gerard and Diana Bertrand and a grandson, Michael. He is survived by his sons, Roger and Steve; daughter, Tammy; four brothers; one sister; one grandchild; two great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Maurice will be interred with Military Honors in Bay Pines National Cemetery at 10:00AM on Monday, June 25, 2018.
Our sympathy to Maurice’s family. What a wonderful man! He made Sunset Beach a wonderful place to live; always smiling and always caring for others. He will be missed!
All I can say is Maurice was “One Hell Of A Guy”. He touched and will be remembered by many.
My father was a Toledo, Ohio firefighter who passed away in January of 1971 while saving my oldest brother and sister from the icy waters of Lake Erie during a family snowmobiling trip. It was a great day gone very bad. My father was a hero. My mother would be our next hero, raising five children between the ages of four (me) and eighteen.
My Mother couldnt bear the idea of being home for the Holidays without my Dad, so the Christmas of 1972 we found ourselves running the beaches and pool of the Bilmar Beach resort.
This is where we met Maurice of course. When us kids had exhausted ourselves, my Mom, probably very depressed, took the opportunity to seek camraderie and friendly conversation with fellow vacationers at the Grog Shoppe at the Bilmar. Maurice treated her like royalty and made sure she was taken care of, well “watered”, distracted sufficiently and returned safely to her children for more days on the beach. Legend has it Mother had set a gin martini record on one of those sad Christmas nights, and deservedly so. The Grog Shop became a frequent stop for the family, and the Bilmar became a family tradition for many years to come. We returned for Christmas every other year for decades.
Maurice was more than a bartender, he was a kind gentleman in the most important time for my Mom and family. Whenever my brothers or sisters returned to the area, he would remember, “Leona Arthur-Toledo Ohio,” with little prompting.
He was a legend to our family and most regretably I missed him in a return trip to the area last May. Everyone at the hotel knew him still and in fact we had just missed him pedaling down the beach.
I am now 52. My Mom and sister Pam aren’t here anymore, but what remains unchanged is our extreme appreciation for the smallest human kindness that means so much at a time of loss. You all know what i mean.
I live in MI now, and had a chance meeting in MI with Mary Meyers of Treasure Island to thank for the news. Maurice was the first thing I brought up and she shared the sad news. I regret not knowing him as an adult, but still cried like a baby at the news.
May God Bless Maurice and his family. I hope this brings you comfort knowing how much he meant to a five year old and his brothers and sisters. Randy@randyarthur.com
When someone special passes we are always so sad, as we are today. The face of Sunset Beach just took a turn. We’ve only been here for 4 short years and henceforth we will always miss the ring, ring greeting on his bike as he passes the house. As sad as it is, we feel privileged to understand the legacy he left with all who knew him. His final services today we’re beautiful and befitting of the prince he was. Our condolences to his loving family. Can’t wait to sit on his bench and be able to tell others about him.
Ron and Debbie
80th Terrace, Sunset Beach
We enjoyed getting to know Maurice here on Sunset Beach. He always had a kind word and smile when you saw him. He will be missed!