Bernice Jane Hassinger, 87, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Weatherford, Oklahoma, on Sunday, December 30, 2012. She was born on August 23, 1925, at her familys farm near Burlington, Oklahoma, to Bill and Opal (Cook) Dreyer. As a child, she took only a few piano lessons, but continued to study piano on her own and could play very well by the time she reached adulthood.

Bernice attended Burlington High School and played clarinet in the band and sang in the choir. She also lettered in a variety of sports, including basketball, softball, and tennis. After high school she attended Northwestern State College in Alva, Oklahoma, where she majored in business. On weekends she played the piano in a local dance band to help with college expenses.

In 1949, she married Dale E. Hassinger in Alva. Their daughter, Jane, was born in 1953, and the family moved to Weatherford in 1961 where Dale became a professor in the Education Department at Southwestern State College.

During this time, Bernice went back to college and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education Degree in 1966 from Southwestern. Although she never taught music, it was her great passion and she often played her piano and organ at home. She and Dale were members of the Federated Church in Weatherford where they both sang for several years in the church choir. During her later years, she enjoyed attending local music programs.

Bernice was a well-known fixture in Weatherford and could often be found visiting with friends at the Mark Restaurant or with informal coffee gatherings at the First National Bank. She was very outgoing and loved Weatherford and its people.

Bernice is survived by her only child, Jane McKellips, of Moore, Oklahoma. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and an older sister, Mary Lou Dreyer Thorndyke of Tekamah, Nebraska. A private graveside service will be held at the Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of R.L. Lockstone Funeral Home.