Steven Wernick

1921 - 2014

Dr. S. Steven Wernick, an orthodontist by profession and true Renaissance man who surrounded himself and his life with music as a seasoned violinist and art collector, passed away on Dec. 28, 2014 at the age of 93. Dr. Wernick was born on Jan. 3, 1921 in Hartford, Conn. He was the son of Dr. Benjamin and Florence Wernick. He was a graduate of Hall High School in 1938 and from the St. Louis University School of Dentistry in 1946, where he became the leader of the Company C Band and won many accolades. Like most young men at that time, his studies were interrupted when he went to serve his country in the Armed Forces of the United States as a Captain and Base Dental Surgeon in the Azores. One memory he had was playing baroque music with the municipal governor and a Portuguese army officer when he was stationed there. And more than once he was able to fly to Paris and bring back music. He was honorably discharged in 1948, and was awarded a WWII Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal. Dr. Wernick had a successful orthodontics practice in West Hartford, Hartford and Bristol for more than 50 years; however, music was central to his soul. As a young teen, he won the Harold Berkley Scholarship to study privately with Mr. Berkley at the Hartt School of Music. Dr. Wernick later continued his violin studies with the famous pedagogue, Raphael Bronstein, in New York City. A passion for the arts led Dr. Wernick to purchase and restore the William Sessions' Beleden House on Federal Hill in Bristol, where he lived for 32 years. He regularly held concerts in the magnificent brownstone's two-story music room, where the Estey pipe organ was the centerpiece. His home also became a showcase for his extensive art collection, which he accumulated during his lifetime of travel throughout the world. Dr. Wernick was also a country gentleman who owned a farm in New Hartford for more than 50 years. True to his nature to bring music to his country life, he renovated the red barn on the property called Barnell, transforming it into an intimate concert hall. There, he would regularly host well-known musicians from all over the world for warm evenings filled with friendship and music. Steve's involvement in the arts was extensive and vast. He played with the Hartford Symphony in the second violin section during the 1952-1953 Season, the Torrington Symphony, the Waterbury Symphony, the Hartford Festival Orchestra and even Harry Belafonte's orchestra in Bermuda, where, at one concert, Princess Margaret was in attendance. He also played with the Connecticut String Orchestra where he was a Concertmaster of the Orchestra and performed as a soloist. Dr. Wernick also performed as the second violinist with the Bucknell University String Quartet during one summer season. Steven was a member of the Violin Society of America and often wrote articles for their publications. He served on the Julius Hartt Foundation Board of Trustees from 1990-1996. He was a self-taught art restorer and collector of rare musical manuscripts. He cofounded a publishing company called Rarities for Strings to make these manuscripts available to the general public. Steven was also a collector of stringed instruments and bows, and was a fixture at all the rare musical instrument auctions around the world. Even in his 90s, Steven would regularly drive himself to New York City to attend the opera at the Metropolitan or concerts at Carnegie Hall. Dr. Wernick is survived by his daughter, Andrea Holcomb and husband Glenn of Oxford, New York, granddaughters Darcie Holcomb of New Fairfield, Conn. and Blythe Baeuchle and husband Andreas of Nantucket, Mass., as well as his beloved sister, Beverly W. Thomas of Bloomfield, Conn. and brother, Dr. Neil Wernick and wife Barbara of Old Lyme, Conn. Also, niece Candace Krause and husband Jim and family of Dallas, Texas; nephews Marc Green and wife Sheryl and family of Bloomfield, Conn., and John Green and wife Norma and family of West Hartford, Conn.; and nieces Nicky McGuire and Sahara Wernick, as well as many extended great nieces and nephews and his dear friends Gail Benson, Dorothy Beauregard, Lisa Laquidara, Carole Olefsky and Alice Rogers. May he now rest in peace among all the famous composers and musicians with whom he shared his life and passion for the arts. A memorial service is being planned in his honor at a later date. Donations may be made to The Hartt School, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra or the Jascha Heifetz Symposium for aspiring young violinists.