Bernard Paul Floriani Jr., 51, of Gurnee, Illinois, died July 30, 2020, after a courageous battle with ALS.
He was born Dec. 25, 1968, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, son of Catherine McCauley Floriani of Cary, North Carolina, and the late Dr. Bernard Paul Floriani. Bernie graduated from Dover High School in Delaware in 1987 and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1991.
While at UVA, Bernie was a member of the golf and basketball teams. Upon graduation, he worked for State Farm and became an agent in Gurnee in 1997. His community involvement included being a member of the Rotary Club and chairman of the 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament for Gurnee Days. He was also the past president of the Lake County Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and a former board member of Gurnee Community Church, as well as a founding board member of Bernie’s Book Bank.
Actively involved in coaching numerous youth athletic programs, Bernie started the youth basketball team known as the Gurnee Lightning, and was a volunteer coach for the Warren Township High School varsity basketball program. In addition to his mother, Bernie is survived by his wife, Christy Oehlstrom Floriani, whom he married July 3, 1993; his children, Kayla Floriani and Maxwell Floriani; a brother, Brian Floriani and Suzanne Brown of Lake Forest, Illinois; a sister, Lindsey Floriani Arterburn and Pete of Prosper, Texas; nieces and nephews: Zoë and Ziggy Floriani; Grant and Claire Arterburn; mother-in-law, Sue Oehlstrom, of Palatine, Illinois; sister-in-law, Stacy Oehlstrom Behles and Forrest; niece and nephew, Mallory and Jack Behles, all of Roselle, Illinois, and numerous other family members.
In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Peter and Veronica Floriani, and maternal grandparents, Bill and Kit McCauley. Visitation, services and interment were held in West Newton, Pennsylvania.
Memorial donations may be made in Bernie’s name to Bernie’s Book Bank, www.berniesbookbank.org, 917 N. Shore Drive, Lake Bluff, IL, 60044, or ALS Les Turner Foundation, www.lesturnerals.org, 5550 W. Touhy Ave., Suite 302, Skokie, IL, 60077.
A memorial service will be held at a later date in Lake County, Illinois.
