Neil Robert Bernstein

Neil R. Bernstein, the son of the late Harry "Lefty" Bernstein and Irene Campbell Bernstein, a bookmaker and a homemaker, died peacefully on August 29, 2024. The Baltimore born resident of Guilford, after living 46 years in Homeland, was 87 years old.
Raised in the Park Circle neighborhood, Bernstein always was inspired by his ethnic diversity which came from grandparents who were Lithuanian Jews on one side and Scot Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch Protestants on the other.
He was a 1954 Honor Society graduate of the Baltimore City College, the third oldest continuously public high school in the nation. Beginning in elementary school, he was a member of the Children's Experimental Theatre and while in high school received Vagabond Players membership. He earned a bachelor's degree in drama from Carnegie Institute of Technology and a master's degree in broadcasting from Syracuse University. Losing interest in a doctoral program at Michigan State University, he dropped out after completing course work.
His varied marketing-oriented employment included advertising agency creative and client contact positions, shopping center and radio station promotion, higher education faculty and administration appointment, and supplemental retirement plan representation.
Bernstein's flair for originating special events was evidenced in the "First Baltimoreans In Space" theme for the 40th anniversary of WFBR-AM, the "175 And First" theme for the 175th anniversary of the University of Maryland at Baltimore, the "150 Thought Provoking Years" sesquicentennial theme for the Baltimore City College, and the "Castle Celebration" theme for the 75th anniversary of the school's unique building. For that event he conducted the 75 Thousand Campaign which exceeded by nine its goal of 75 individual thousand-dollar contributions in one year. For advertising copy writing he received an award of excellence and an award of merit from the Baltimore Art Director's Club and a Best in Baltimore merit award from the Advertising Association of Baltimore. His articles on various aspects of mass communication appeared in publications ranging from "Public Relations Quarterly" to "Industrial Photography".
After exiting graduate school, Bernstein became assistant professor and head of the Advertising and Public Relations sequence at the Drake University School of Journalism in Des Moines. Shortly before returning to Baltimore, he met his future wife, Alice Dalbey Nolan and her two daughters. He considered the three ladies to be the best of all possible package deals. Later, Bernstein found grand and great grand fathering to be a completely unexpected pleasure.
In the early 1980's, Bernstein participated in the reorganization of the Baltimore City College Alumni Association, Inc. and the evolution of the Trustees of the Baltimore City College Scholarship Funds, Inc. He served terms as president of both organizations, his third for the Alumni Association in 2020 at age 84. Twice he received the Alumni Association Leo Award for alumni service. In 2006, he was inducted into the Baltimore City College Hall of Fame. Because of his advocacy, the high school's iconic building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. For acquiring the listing and the designation and for instigating the 2006 removal of all structurally and aesthetically damaging cell phone antennae from the building's tower, Bernstein received a 2007 Historic Preservation Honor Award from Baltimore Heritage. In 2009, he arranged for the naming of the William Donald Schaefer Auditorium at Baltimore City College. Also, for several years he served as finance chairman of the Over-60 Employment Counseling Service of Maryland and as an inquiry panel member for the Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland.
Bernstein's memberships were Delta Upsilon, Pi Delta Epsilon, Alpha Delta Sigma, American Academy of Advertising, Advertising Association of Baltimore and the University Club.
Survivors include Alice Louise Bernstein (nee Dalbey), his wife of almost 58 years; two stepdaughters Mary Nolan Marron (Kevin F.) of Baltimore and Catherine A. Nolan of Bozeman, Montana; his sister, Lynn Bernstein Lobe of Reisterstown, Md.; five grandchildren; Kevin T. N., Patrick L. and Alison T. Marron and Megan Shefte Olson and Kyle N. Shefte, and great granddaughters Audrey Olivia Shefte Olson and Hallie Anne Shefte Olson.
In lieu of flowers, the bereaved would appreciate memorial donations to the Campbell Bernstein Slusky Scholarship Endowment, c/o Trustees of Baltimore City College Scholarship Funds, Inc., P.O. Box 21494, Baltimore, Md, 21282-1494. Private funeral services arranged by the Ruck Towson Funeral Home, Inc.