Bernstein

Charles Irwin Bernstein "Chuck"

1949-2024

Chuck passed away January 6, 2024 at the Virginia Hospital Center when his primary myelofibrosis converted to acute leukemia. During the week prior to his death he visited and laughed with friends and family. His dog Milkshake also visited him in the hospital. He did not suffer with much pain and was able to talk and laugh with friends, until less than a day before his death.

Chuck was born and grew up in Glencoe, Illinois just north of Chicago. Shortly after graduation from the University of Michigan he moved to Washington, DC to open The Kite Site in Georgetown. He expanded his kite business to other locations and later opened In The Bag, a soft luggage store also in Georgetown. During his years as a retailer he often dabbled in writing, having articles published in magazines and newspapers, including The Washington Post. After years in the retail business he closed his stores and redirected his energy to journalism, focusing on environmental advocacy. He was very successful in helping people write and place op-eds in newspapers including The New York Times, The Washington Post and the International Herald Tribune as well as smaller papers.

Chuck had many passions and interests. He had eclectic collections: spatulas, cake safes, and advertising pamphlet cookbooks. Chuck loved food. He may have been the first person in Washington to put pineapple on his pizza. In 1978, Washington Post food critic Phyllis C. Richman wrote about how Chuck always brought a can of crushed pineapple with him to Geppetto's to modify his pizza order.

Chuck formed two dining groups to cook, eat, drink and share friendship. One of these, the SOFA group (Society Of Food Aficionados) began 30 years ago and will continue, though sadly without him. He was an adventurous eater that loved trying new food and going to restaurants. (On a trip to Vietnam his wife had to stop him from eating raw duck blood.)

Chuck loved writing about food too. He contributed articles to The Post's Food section on a myriad of topics, including chopped liver, matzoh balls, homemade peanut butter and how to grill the perfect salmon. (The key is low, indirect heat and chips of alder wood). He wrote a book about baking that had more stories about baking than actual recipes. Recreating the treats of his mother and grandmother brought him closer to them, he wrote.

Until he became ill Chuck exercised almost daily, either swimming, walking, lifting weights, rollerblading, or cross-country skiing. He traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, Canada, the US, and Central America. Chuck maintained friendships with almost all the friends he made during his life, emailing, texting, and calling many daily.

He is survived by his wife Lynn, his sister Sue, and leaves behind so many friends who remember him as funny, generous, and caring person.

A memorial will be held on February 25 at 3 p.m. at Friends Meeting of Washington | 2111 Decatur Place NW | Washington, DC 20008. The event also will be streamed live.

In lieu of flowers, consider donations to Virginia Conservation Network, Earthjustice, or Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Washington Post on Jan. 28, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for Charles Bernstein

5 Entries

Tim Fricker

June 16, 2025

I've just learned of Chuck's death, having run a Google search to see if there was any recent news of him. I am so sorry to hear of his passing.

I met Chuck in the 70s, not long after he first opened the Kite Site. My sister's first husband Phil and I had recently been bitten by the kite bug, enough so that we started our own small kite making company. The very first kite shop to ever carry our products was the Kite Site, both in the Georgetown location and in Ocean City, NJ. Chuck was a really great guy, and gave us lots of advice and support as we were starting out. I was probably 13 or 14 when we met, and when I went off to college and dropped out of the kite business, I wasn't in touch with him again until a brief exchange through Linked In in 2016. I was really glad to catch up with him, and learn of some of his later life history. RIP Chuck, and may the winds always be favorable.

Barbara Fairchild

January 22, 2025

In the late 70's, we had a party at our house and invited Chuck because we loved him and he was always a good time. Back then, Chuck was selling Mylar balloons at the Kite Site, which were quite new on the scene. Prior to that, balloons were made of rubber. He wanted to bring these new balloons to the party so he blew them up and stuffed them into a large black garbage bag to contain them for his journey to our house near Friendship Heights. He didn't have a car in those days, so he got quite a few interesting looks as he climbed aboard the 33 Metrobus with a large floating bag. The balloons and Chuck were both a big hit at our party.

Paul Ritchey

February 7, 2024

Jeffrey Maxwell Stander

January 28, 2024

I´m sure I first met my cousin Chuck when I was a toddler. His mother (Marion) was my mother´s sister (Judy Peyser Stander Gortikov Lainhart). Our family lived in Hollywood, CA and his family lived in Illinois. His dad was called "Mike" which was short for Myron, and he was a superior veterinarian.

When I was 17 or 18 I spent a summer with Chuck, Sue, and their parents in Glencoe, IL working for Uncle Mike in his animal hospital.

Fast forward about 62 years. My wife Kathy and were on a road trip from Tennessee (her family) to Maine (my family) and we spent a few days in Arlington with Lynn and Chuck. We also spent a night on the way back south. Both visits were marked by Chuck´s wonderful cooking and good conversations. It was good to get to know Lynn more and to continue a growing connection with Chuck.

Chuck taught me the meaning of "extra Vecchio." I doubt many people would embark on a balsamic vinegar tour. To paraphrase an old proverb "When an extra vecchio person dies, a library burns down". We´ve lost a lot with Chuck gone.

I don´t remember when Chuck and I started the phone calls. It was before those trips - perhaps 3 years ago. I live in Tasmania, Australia, and international calls are unlimited for me. We began having long conversations every week or two. He was struggling with his blood cancer, and then the nasal cancer. These talks became more important when I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It´s not that we were only "cancer cousins", but somehow a different bond formed. A shared recognition that life truly is lived "one day at a time".

I phoned Chuck three days before he died, to say Goodbye. I didn´t think it would be the last call, but it was. "I´ll miss you", I said. "I´ll miss you, too", he replied. Chuck told me it was a relief. He was okay with dying.

Without Chuck, there is a big hole in my life. It´s not a hole that can be patched or plastered over. All I can do is let the sun shine through the hole and remember him. And bake his recipes.

Jeff Stander
Nubeena, Tasmania, Australia
8 January 2024

Danny Frohman

January 28, 2024

Chuck and I met when we were 5 ½ years old. At his and Lynn´s wedding I had the opportunity to share childhood stories of some of the more fun, unusual and telling moments from those early years. Afterwards, a number of folks came up to me and said that the fellow they had met at later moments in his adult life was exactly the same as the character from the childhood stories. You bet.

I like Lynn´s telling of the pineapple-on-pizza story, not because of the pineapple predilection - a, perhaps, unusual but not unknown pizza topping, nor because he brought his own pineapple with him to commercial pizza outings - even before Boy Scouts Chuck was serious about being prepared, especially for culinary experiences. No, it was the `always´ part in Lynn´s story that captured the real man. Chuck Bernstein was the most consistently, insistently, true-to-self person I have ever encountered. He never let anything keep him from being the quirky, creative, unique character that he was. What a wonderful treasure it was to know him.

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