David Ash Bernstein, M.D.

1952 - 2022

David Ash Bernstein, M.D. passed away peacefully on August 20, 2022, from ALS. He was 70 years old. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Gloria Bertucci, and their son, Philip. He is also survived by brother Peter and sister-in-law Betty, niece Erica and nephew Jason, local cousins Alan and Susan, and several East Coast cousins. David was born June 3, 1952 in Norwalk, Connecticut to Seymour and Sarah Ash Bernstein. He attended BiCultural Day School, Stamford High, and Holyoke Community College, before attending the University of Connecticut, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He subsequently obtained two Master of Science Degrees, one in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Connecticut, the second in Physiology from Georgetown University, before obtaining his M.D. degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1983. He moved to Southern California for his Residency in Pathology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where he met his future wife and one true love, Dr. Gloria Bertucci. They married in 1995 and welcomed son Philip in September, 1996. There was no prouder or more involved Dad than David. David practiced Pathology briefly at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital and held a position as Professor of Pathology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center before joining the Pathology Department at Kaiser Permanente Harbor City (South Bay) in 1990. He soon became involved in administrative duties, first for the Laboratory computer system, and later as Assistant Medical Director, a position he held for 12 years. Subsequently, he was involved in the expansion of the medical campus as Physician Head of Facilities Planning. He maintained full Pathology service duties during all this time. He was active in the American Society for Clinical Pathology, first as a member of the Residency Committee, and later as a Delegate to the Hematology Council. He was also an active member of the College of American Pathologists, serving several times as Lead Laboratory Inspector for Laboratory Accreditations.

David had a brilliant and inquisitive mind, becoming proficient at his varied interests. As a young man, he raced a dragster and was the drummer for a rock band. Later, he became proficient at computer programming and photography. After son Philip was born, his interests included sports, especially ice hockey and baseball. David did not miss any of his son's Little League baseball games, and only a rare high school game, and was scorekeeper and statistician for his teams. His more casual interests included gardening and cooking, and he was also a home do-it-yourself-er. David loved animals, especially cats, and he and Gloria cared for many rescue and feral cats over the years. He enjoyed music of various genres, accruing a large library of albums and CDs over the years.

David relished his early morning runs, under the stars. He ran nearly every morning for 14 years, about 4 miles each day. He loved creating the family Holiday newsletter, the "B &B Times", a photographic and written journey of the past year. He liked taking pictures throughout the year in anticipation of using them for the B & B Times.

But Family was most important to David. Completely devoted to Gloria and Philip, he also maintained connections to his East Coast relatives, and the family flew several times a year to Connecticut, New Orleans, and Florida to visit relatives on both sides.

David had a positive and determined attitude throughout his life, and pushed through adversity to achieve his desires and goals. He was generous with his time, and also gave generously to causes he believed in. He was a several-year Board Member of his neighborhood Homes Association. His opinion on medical and non-medical matters was valued by many. He enjoyed talking, and could easily engage in conversation with longtime friends and recent acquaintances.

David had a deeply impactful life. He always encouraged others to do their best, and was generous with supportive comments and sentiments. David was a truly memorable person, and will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew him.