Neil Barry Berk

Neil Berk, our beloved father, passed away on Tuesday, January 6, in Phoenix, AZ, after a battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 81. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara, and is survived by his three children, Michael Berk, Matthew Berk, and Karen Berk Marcus; his six grandchildren, Avery Berk, Chloe Berk, Emilia Berk, Eli Berk, Lily Marcus, and Owen Marcus; and his many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Neil was born in Brooklyn, NY, on April 5, 1944, to Herman and Pauline Berk and grew up in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood with his older brother Arthur and his younger brother Stanley. Neil loved sports, with a devotion to baseball and basketball. The family relocated to California, and Neil graduated from Montebello High School in 1961 and then studied art and design (and played basketball) at California State University, Los Angeles, graduating in 1965.
He and Barbara Berson, another Brooklynite living in Los Angeles, married on June 24, 1967, and raised their family in the Los Angeles area. Neil served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, worked for the Big Yank workwear company, as an investor, and in the organic soap business.
Along with his brother Arthur, Neil organized a Saturday morning basketball game that lasted for decades and was the center of a group of lifelong friendships. He loved reading, especially mysteries and spy thrillers, and long kept a list of every title he'd ever read. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, traveling with Barbara, and keeping in touch with friends old and new.
He was a decent, upstanding, responsible man who could always be counted on. He was the glue that held family, friends, and community together. He will be forever loved and missed.
- Michael, Matthew, and Karen
In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Parkinson's research at the Michael J. Fox Foundation.