Vivian Burstein Berkowitz

Vivian Burstein Berkowitz 1941 - 2020
UTICA - Vivian Burstein Berkowitz, 79, of Utica, lost her battle with Ovarian Cancer on October 31, 2020 after living a full and joyful life.
She was born in Buffalo, to Sylvia (Stein) and Samuel Burstein, on January 16, 1941, to a loving family. Vivian met her husband, Ernie, while attending Bennett High School and he was attending Pharmacy School at the University of Buffalo. Vivian received her degree from the University of Buffalo, majoring in Business and Education and then attended Syracuse University for her Master's Degree in Business Education. Vivian and Ernie were married on August 12, 1962, in Buffalo.
Her career as a Business Teacher started at Whitesboro High School, in 1962 and ended at Proctor High School in 1999, where she taught for many years and loved every minute of it. In her retirement, she and Ernie enjoyed there winters in Palm Desert, CA.
Vivian was always selecting activities besides teaching to keep busy. Gardening, Batik, oil paints, macrame, crocheting, cooking and jewelry at MWP and finally Mahjongg and Duplicate Bridge, with the Mohawk Valley Duplicate Bridge Group. Vivian loved traveling, creating itineraries and travel logs, but nothing gave her greater joy than her penchant for developing and nurturing friendships throughout the many phases of her life. Her door was always open and welcome for entertaining.
Vivian is survived by her husband, Ernie; and her children, Dr. Richard Berkowitz and Heidi Berkowitz and their spouses, Paula Berkowitz and Richard Goorevich. She is also survived by her granddaughters, Lisa and Renee Berkowitz and Emily and Anna Goorevich. She also leaves her siblings, Irwin Burstein, Myrna LaBaer, Ann-Burstein Cohen and Roberta-Burstein Markel and their spouses. She also leaves behind her sister-in-law, Rosalind Berkowitz (Gerald). Vivian leaves many friends and relationships, but especially her best friend, Theresa Marie Chieco-Cohen.
The funeral will be Monday, at 1 p.m., at Temple Beth El, 2710 Genesee Street, Utica, with Cantor Kalman Socolof officiating. The Temple is asking people to start arriving by 12:15 for temperature checks and contact tracing sign-ins, as well as social distancing be followed. Interment will be in House of Israel Cemetery, Whitesboro. There will be no formal Shiva.
Services will be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/markcbentzfuneralservice. You do not need to have a Facebook account to access this link.
Donations in memory of Mrs. Berkowitz may be made to Temple Beth El or Hospice & Palliative Care.
Arrangements are with Mark C. Bentz Funeral Service, Inc., New Hartford. To express sympathy, please visit bentzfuneralhomes.com.