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Bernice S. Novack

Bernice Novack Obituary

NOVACK, BERNICE S., 87, formerly of Miami Beach. She was a former New York fashion model and wife of the late Ben Novack, hotel magnate who built and owned the Fontainebleau, passed away in her Ft. Lauderdale home on Saturday, April 4th. Bernice is survived by the couples one son, Ben Novack, Jr., and his wife Narcy and stepdaughter May Azalea. Bernice was a vibrant, active, independent and strong willed woman and worked as Office Manager for Ben Jr.'s companies from 1998 until the day she died. In lieu of flowers the family is requesting a donation to the Broward County Humane Society in Bernice's name. Chapel Services 4 pm, Friday, April 10, 2009 at Beth David Memorial Gardens, 3201 N. 72nd Avenue, Hollywood, FL; reception following. BLASBERG-RUBIN-ZILBERT (305) 865-2353 To visit this Guest Book Online, go to www.MiamiHerald.com/obituaries.

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Published by the Miami Herald on Apr. 9, 2009.

Memories and Condolences
for Bernice Novack

11 Entries

Diane Wagner

March 4, 2017

May she always Rest In Peace and soar with the Angels !!

Angela DiCicco

December 2, 2013

Dear friend Bernice!
I am deeply saddened to hear of this tragedy. As I was watching 48 hrs this evening, some 4 1/2 yrs later I am in total disbelief and completely heartbroken.
Our friendship grew fondly over the many years you helped me with my convention reservations! I knew your son owned the company and I always said you needed to take time off cause you worked so hard!
Our conversations were always uplifting, cheerful and full of affection! I am heartbroken now that I did not visit you while I was visiting my parents in Hollywood, Fl.
I still have your sweet thank you note for the baci chocolates I sent you!
Oh Bernice, I'm learning everything about you now. Your humility, your grace has touched me deeply. How unassuming and down to earth you were. I thought of you often while caring for my own aging parents. They are with you in heaven now and pray that God will introduce you! I pay too that you will be at heavens gate when I get there.
I am so sorry for Ben too and only comforted knowing he is with you. God bless you in heaven my dear dear friend.
Love and affection forever---
Angela

Eddie Argondizza

July 14, 2009

Bernice
my dear friend, rest in peace you beautiful human being. The world is a little lonlier these days. I will miss our little talks about the hotel industry. God Bless

Eddie Argondizza

July 14, 2009

I first met Bernice through her hairdresser Manny and Guy twenty some odd years ago. From that day on we remained friends from afar. I New York her Florida. Every time I visited Florida we made a point of contacting each other for talks or dinner etc. I will always remember how warm and caring she was, always with a smile and a kind word. Being from the hotel world we shared many stories together. Rest in Peace my dear friend.

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Temple Hayes

April 14, 2009

I met Bernice Novack in 1989 at the Science of Mind Center in Boca Raton where the two of us attended faithfully and actively. From the first moment I met her, I felt as if I had known her all my life. Our friendship remained strong and blessed for thirty years....with dinners and shopping and looking for bargains at the antique malls. My heart is so sad that she has left us and yet so grateful that we spent the day together on March 22, 2009. Her flaming red hair, her blue eyes and most of all, her loyalty to all she loved were qualities for all to admire. They say some people come into our lives for a brief time, while others leave a footprint on our hearts and our lives are never the same...Bernice, my life is forever changed and I thank you....how I will always love you...

Temple Hayes, Minister, First Unity, St. Petersburg, FL

April 11, 2009

Another Fontainebleau star has dimmed. Your lovely mother will be missed, Ben. I won't forget how she very kindly called me when Harold died. We chatted for a long time and told stories about the "good old days". She will be remembered fondly.
Ruth Gardner

April 9, 2009

Bernice,
My thoughts and prayers are with your family and friends. You were a dear friend and co-worker. We had our diferences but we always found the time of day to laugh and talk to each other about anything and everything. I will miss you dearly. I admire your passion for all you did and loved. You always remembered all occasions and always had a gift to say that you cared. I am deeply saddened by your abrupt departure. May God keep you and hold you tight.
Our love,
Sylvia & Juan Peña

Denise Reynolds

April 9, 2009

Bernice, darling, you know how much we all adore you! We will miss you terribly. I can't bear the thought of Christmas morning without a visit from you, your arms loaded with gaily wrapped packages for the kids, and for us, too. I'll never forget the way you loved Jabbers through his cancer, respecting his life as if he were your own. You always had such compassion. And passion. Passion for things of beauty, and for life itself. You taught me so much about living a life of health and vibrance.

Every time I pour a glass of red wine or look out my kitchen window at your beautifully manicured lawn, I will say a prayer for you. Your passing has left a huge hole in my heart that will be impossible to mend. Our love and prayers for Ben and Narcy in this time of unspeakable grief. Godspeed, Bernice.

Much love,
Denise Reynolds for Doug, William, Christina, Jabbers, and Bailey

Ruth Freeman

April 9, 2009

I had not heard anything about Bernice for many years. She was a good friend of my first love Ramon (Justus)Kates.She would let us use her lanai by the hotel pool.She was a great beauty. No matter how much money is put into the Fontainebleau it can never recreate those glory days.Rest in Peace

michelle, bruce, jennifer marx

April 9, 2009

My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort.

Julie McKinnon Chase

April 9, 2009

My sincere condolences to Ben Novack, Jr. and his family over the loss of his beloved mother, Bernice. I have had the privilege of knowing Bernice Novack since 1956 when I first started working at the Fontainebleau Hotel. We had become close friends in the last 10 years and saw each other often. If one word could describe Bernice it was the word "lady". She was always such a lady and one of the warmest persons I knew. Her greatest achievement in life was not being Mrs. Fontainebleau, but that of being a mother to Ben, Jr. He was always her greatest achievement.

I can remember back in the late 1950's, Bernice would visit Ben Novack Sr.'s office in the morning before she started her day, and he would say "stay out of the shops Bernice" and she would reply, "yes dear", and of course would head downstairs to the shops. He didn't care, she could have bought out everything in every shop and he would have been fine with it because he adored her.

I recall when Bernice had some major surgery in the early l980's, I was then with Ben Sr. at the Racquet Club. He would visit Bernice at the Hospital every single day. One day she called me and said, if Ben comes over here today, please hide his Zane Grey book because if I hear another story from that book I'm going to kill myself. We were laughing so hard - I actually did hide the book and pretened I had not seen it. As much as he hated hospitals, he did not mind going every day for 10 days to see his Bernice.

I shall miss her terribly. She was a very spiritual person and I know that is a comfort to many of her friends.

God bless you my friend.,

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