Bernice P. Sellers

For those wishing to join us to view a recording of Bernie's Service please click on the highlighted link below ( to View Bernie's Funeral Recording ). Bernice “Bernie” P. Sellers, passed to heaven above on August 11, 2020, at Waterford at Levis Commons, Perrysburg, Ohio. Bernice was born on May 22, 1923, in Bowling Green, Ohio to Wilbert and Rhonda (Thompson) Bush. During the Great Depression the family moved several times but when she was in the fourth grade they moved to a farm on Hill Avenue and she graduated from Martin School and four years later she graduated from Woodward High School because Adams Township had no high school. Her first job was at S.S. Kresge’s on Adams Street. On March 16th she married her childhood sweetheart , Robert Sellers, on his last furlough before he was deployed to the war in the Pacific Islands. On August 3rd, 1943 she was hired at Champion Sparkplug and worked there for 19 years but was laid off when Ford started making their own plugs. She was then hired into Lasalles and Koch at Westgate. During her time at Champion she was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the Credit Union. She left Lasalles when she was hired to be Assistant Treasurer of Teamster’s Federal Credit Union. During her employment there she was elected to serve on the Toledo Chapter Board as secretary, which was involved with all the credit unions in Northwest Ohio. In 1970 she was elected by the Board to be President. During this time she held monthly meetings for credit union officers to keep up with data processing and regulations. She went to many meetings and schools on the state level and taught Credit Union Relations of Boards and Directors under the Decca Program at Owens College. She spent many nights helping other credit unions. She chaired many large banquets (always with themes) for President nights, Sohio Refinery Own Annual meetings and Management nights for the Presidents who sponsored their credit union. Also with all other Boards, she was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Toledo Credit Bureau, which she served on for seven years when it was sold to individuals. In 1987 she was awarded by the Ohio Credit Union League the Outstanding Volunteer Award, which was the highest award given. At the time of the convention where they honor you with this, her husband was very ill in the hospital and her friend made her humble acceptance speech at the convention. January 1972 she was hired as CEO of Sohio Refinery Credit Union (now known as Bay Area Credit Union.) During her 19 years at this credit union she was elected to serve on the State Board of Credit Unions, which helps credit unions follow regulations, education, etc. She was secretary one year and served this Board for four terms. During this time she was President of Toledo Central Credit Union, then Ohio Central Credit Union in Columbus, Ohio. She was elected to help to incorporate Corporate One Credit Union and separate from Ohio Central. She became Vice-Chariman and two years later was Chairman of the Board of Directors until her retirement in 1995. She retired from Bay Area in 1990 and was elected to President of the Board until she decided to retire completely from all of these activities. The Board gave her the Honor of being Director Emeritus. In 1990 she also was awarded the Plaque for “WHO’S WHO of U.S. Women Executives.” Her interest then turned to forming a WIDOW’S Club to play cards and travel. With eight fun loving friends they traveled to Switzerland, Alaska, took many river cruises up and down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, also included was a trip to the Canadian Rockies and two cruises. Slowly she started to lose members in death and the oldest one of them died in May 2016 and left her without her old friends, but with younger friends that she and her companions traveled with she went back to her fondest hobby of dancing. Her greatest hobby is her great love of her family and her grandchildren. She loved dancing, polka music, playing cards and reading. Bernice married Robert Sellers in 1942, he preceded her in death in May of 1988; she was also preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters-in-law, Roy and Rachel, Emmitt and Marie, Thomas and Donna Bush; and her three companions and close friends, Dan Hudanski, Irving Myers and Charlie Koch. She is survived by her son Gary (Linda) Sellers; Grandchildren Steven (Lyndsey) Sellers, Courtney (Mike Smith) Sellers; great-grandchildren Cameron and Austin Sellers and Sterling Smith. Also her great friends who helped her with many tasks, Dorothy Romp and Gene Campbell. Visitation will take place at Walter Funeral Home, 4653 Glendale Avenue, on Saturday, August 15th from 10 a.m. until the funeral service will begin at 12:30 p.m. Burial will follow in Toledo Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to a Charity of your Choice. The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff at Waterford at Levis Commons for their wonder care given to Bernice.