Bernice Custard

Bernice Rose Shunowski Custard, Chester, New York

 November 18, 1935 – August 24, 2026

Bernice Custard, also known as “Boots” and “Boobie” by family and longtime friends, a lifelong resident of Orange County originally from Pine Island who married, raised her family, and lived in Chester for over 63 years, passed peacefully from the comfort of her cozy room at Valley View in Goshen, New York, after her family had said their goodbyes. Bernice was 90 years old.

The daughter of the late Leo Joseph Shunoski and Catherine Sumara Shunoski, Bernice was born on November 18, 1935, in Warwick, New York. She attended Pine Island Central School through the 8th grade, where she learned to play the violin. She then went on to Warwick Valley High School, graduating in 1953. Bernice worked on the black dirt while she was in school. She worked in the carrot patch, which was murkier than the other fields, so she had to wear boots, which is where she earned the nickname “Boots”.

This is where she met her husband, Edward Thomas Custard, Sr., and his family always referred to her as “Boots”. Following high school graduation, Bernice worked at Miss Swank in Middletown, which was a slip factory. She then moved on to an office job at Dun & Bradstreet. Shortly thereafter, Bernice Rose Shunowski married Edward Thomas Custard on August 25, 1956, and they moved to Goshen. One year later, their firstborn son, Edward Thomas Custard Jr., was born, and Bernice became a stay-at-home mom. Three years later, they bought a house in Chester and welcomed the birth of their daughter, Linda, and three years after that they welcomed their third child, Michael. The Custard family enjoyed many decades entertaining at their Chester home, hosting holidays and enjoying summer barbecues and pool parties with family and friends of all ages. The house was small, but always held the largest gatherings. Everyone was welcome.

When her youngest child started school, Bernice was approached by a neighbor asking if she would be interested in working part-time as a waitress, as they needed help at a local restaurant. She said she had no idea how to do that type of work, but she would try. As it turned out, Bernice was a natural at waitressing and found her calling! She worked as a waitress for over 25 years right in Chester, first at Gallo’s Cozy Corner Restaurant and then at Connie’s 19 Main Street luncheonette. She absolutely loved her job and her customers. She had spunk, an infectious smile and laugh, and she loved entertaining customers with her endless supply of jokes. Her favorite joke was about her tattoo – if you know, you know!

After retiring from waitressing, Bernice took her love for life and meeting new people to Arden Hill Hospital, where she volunteered in the gift shop. She later moved to Garnet, where she volunteered both in the gift shop and in the Infusion Department. She loved to make people laugh who were receiving treatments. Bernice was a larger-than-life personality who just brought joy to all she encountered. It seems that everyone in Orange County and beyond knows Bernice. People would pop up in the strangest of places and call out, “Bernice? Is that Bernice?” There was always someone who knew Bernice, and this truly blew the minds of her grandsons when that exact thing happened while on line for a ride at Hershey Park and then, most notably, while touring Stonehenge in England!

Bernice’s passion for life was expressed abundantly in her yard and garden. Up until she was 87 years old, she mowed her own lawn! She planted hundreds of flowers each summer, and they were meticulously spaced down her sidewalk, the precision of which she attributed to planting ‘sets’ in the black dirt as a kid. She always planted a red and white garden to honor her Polish heritage, of which she was extremely proud. Bernice collected clown figurines and enjoyed dressing as a clown for Halloween and fundraising events at her grandsons’ schools, all a fitting reflection of her colorful personality.

The only thing that surpassed every other passion Bernice enjoyed in her life of service and bringing joy to others was her devotion to and love for her family. Nothing was more important to her. She stepped up for anyone at any time of need, handling each crisis with grit and grace. She had rock-solid family values with no judgment. Her willingness to help others extended beyond family, and she welcomed many into her home and heart who became family. She was the most genuine, kind, and generous person you’ll ever meet. She was everybody’s “Gram”. We are heartbroken to say goodbye, but we know that we are wealthy beyond measure for having had her as our own. We will always remember her with a smile as a big fan of “F” words – family, friends, flowers, food, and fun.

Bernice was predeceased by her beloved husband, Edward Custard, Sr., and her son Edward Custard, Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Linda Curcio and her husband Craig of Middletown New York; her son Michael Custard of Port Charlotte, Florida, and granddaughters Sarah Custard and Alexa Custard; her grandson Nicholas Curcio and his wife Lauren of Waccabuc, New York, and their son, her great-grandson Oliver; her grandson Zachary Curcio and his wife Sarah of Fort Lee, New Jersey; and her brother Raymond Shunowski and his wife Marion of Kansas City, Missouri; as well as many nieces and nephews.

We invite you to join us as we pay our last respects to Bernice on Monday, September 7th from 5 to 8 at Flynn’s Funeral Home, 3 Hudson Street, Chester, New York. Burial following viewing on Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:30 will take place at St. Columba Cemetery.

For those who would like to attend but cannot, the service will be live-streamed at: https://my.gather.app/remember/bernice-custard

Please feel free to dress in colorful clothing for the service to reflect the joy and colorful personality of Bernice. She hated wearing black except for slacks, which she believed made her look slimmer.

The family sincerely thanks the nurses, aides, and staff at Valley View Nursing Home for the exceptional care Bernice received. 

The family entrusted Bernice's care to the Flynn Family and staff of Flynn Funeral & Cremation Memorial Centers.

Donations can be made to the Chester Historical Society chesterhistoricalsociety.com or to the Polish American Congress Charitable Foundation (PACCF) paccf.org/donate