BURTON BERNSTEIN

BERNSTEIN--Burton,

With great sadness, Burton Bernstein's wife Jane (nee Anderson), daughter Karen and son Michael announce the death of their beloved husband and father. One day after what would have been his brother Leonard's 99th birthday, Bernstein died on August 26, 2017, at the age of 85, from natural causes. Born in Boston, MA, to Jewish immigrant parents, Bernstein was the youngest of three children, including sister Shirley. After graduating from Dartmouth College and Columbia University's School of Journalism, Bernstein served in the US Army, briefly wrote for Mike Wallace's primetime TV interview show Night-Beat and then became a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine in 1957, where he thrived for 35 years. He authored eight books, including two novels; an authorized biography of James Thurber; Sinai: The Great and Terrible Wilderness (published on the eve of the Egypt-Israeli peace accord); a recounting of his family's experiences as immigrant and first-generation Americans (Family Matters); and Plane Crazy, a collection of essays about his lifelong passion for aviation. His last published book, Leonard Bernstein: American Original (2008), co-authored by Babara Haws, celebrated his brother's long, renowned relationship with the New York Philharmonic. Bernstein moved to Bridgewater, CT, in 1972, and became active in local civic affairs, including inland-wet- lands conservation. There, he divorced Dutch actress Ellen Hora-Siccama, the mother of his children, in 1977 and married Ms. Anderson in 1984. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Mateo and Emilia, nieces Jamie and Nina, and nephew Alexander. A private memorial service will be held in the fall.