Bernard Wayne McGuire

Bernard Wayne McGuire, born April 15, 1945, in Arlington, Texas, joined his Lord and Savior on November 11, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas, after a brief illness. 

Bernard, affectionately known as Papa, enjoyed a full life filled with family and friends. He grew up in the Johnson Station area of Arlington and graduated from Arlington High School. Bernard met Ila Young at Woods Chapel Baptist Church, and they married there on August 8, 1964. Together they had three children, ten grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Bernard and Ila were members of Retta Baptist Church for over fifty years, where Bernard taught Sunday School and was ordained as a deacon, faithfully serving in that capacity for many years. 

Bernard spent his entire career at Bell Helicopter/Textron in Arlington, where he worked for forty four years in flight testing. He also obtained his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree from Dallas Baptist University in 2002. Bernard and Ila enjoyed traveling with friends and family to a variety of destinations from New York to Alaska, and many places in between. He also enjoyed photography, woodworking, and painting. Most of all, he enjoyed playing with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

After retiring, Bernard found passion and purpose in volunteering at Huguely Hospital. There, he served for many years blessing patients and their families with his gentle and calm spirit. He also befriended numerous Huguely employees and volunteers over the years and served on the Volunteer Business Committee, where he assisted in deciding how to disburse gifts and scholarships. 

Bernard is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Ila McGuire, his daughters, Tracey Hadaway and her husband Jeff, Angela Walraven and her husband Eric, and Jana Atkins and her husband Sean, grandchildren Brittany Batzlaff and her husband Jon, Michal Oritz and his wife Bretta, Megan Carroll and her husband John, Emily Evans and her husband Scott, Amanda Heger and her husband Todd, Matthew Walraven, Clay Peretti, Luke Peretti, S.J. Atkins, and Claire Atkins, and great grandchildren Gunnar, Addison, Emma, Madeline, Bennett, Stella, and Scarlett. He also leaves behind his sisters, Patricia Morris and Debbie Potts. He was predeceased by his parents, Ermel and Leona McGuire. 

Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. on November 22, 2025, at Retta Baptist Church, 13201 Rendon Rd, Burleson, TX 76028, with a service following at 11:00 a.m. A grave side service will then be held at Skyvue Memorial Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery, 7220 Rendon Bloodworth Rd, Mansfield, TX 76063. 

For those who wish to make donations in lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the Care Clinic at Texas Health Huguley, PO Box 6452, Fort Worth, Texas 76115, Attn: Donna McClintock. Please note that the donation is made in memory of Bernie McGuire.