Rita Berkowitz

Rita Berkowitz passed away at her home in NYC, surrounded by people who loved her, on a sunny October day. She is predeceased by the love of her life, her husband Fred Grossman, and her loving sister Marcia (Dettelbach). Rita is survived by her dear daughter, Randi (Bruce Amick), her adored grandson, Noah (Amick), granddaughters Kendra (Nelson), Joanna (Amick) and many loving relatives, including her nephews (Steven and Eric), her many beloved cousins, her devoted friends and an enduring legacy. Rita was born on April 12, 1943 in Lorain, Ohio to, Jewish immigrants who came to this country with nothing and raised her in a home next to the lumber business that they started. Theirs was the American Dream. They created a full life, built a business, and made this nation, and their community better. Rita herself would certainly point out that they would not have been welcomed to our shores today.

Rita made the most of her opportunities. After attending high school (with Donny Novello, the comedian who was later known best as SNL’s Father Guido Sarducci), she graduated from the University of Michigan. She began her ceiling crashing legal career by finishing near the top of her class at the Ohio State University School of Law, one of four women in a class of 500.

Offered secretarial positions at the finest New York law firms, Rita took an in-house counsel job at American Express, where she was their first “Lady Lawyer.” There, for decades, those same firms came both to respect her and to beg her for work. Rita eventually became a Deputy General Counsel and the global head of Labor Relations, before moving to help run an Amex business unit as Executive Vice President of the Travel Division. She was the first woman on the senior executive team there as well.

Rita “retired” from Amex in the 1990’s and went on to be the first head of Human Resources at a growing media company called MTV. She described her role there as “adult supervision.” Rita then became the first General Counsel at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, where her sage advice helped advance its efforts to create a more just, equitable and sustainable world.

The term “force of nature” is overused. Rita Berkowitz was not a force of nature. She was multiple forces of nature.

Rita was a lioness, protecting (and occasionally nibbling at) the family she loved with all her heart. Rita and Fred found each other in middle age and then spent decades laughing like kids. There was almost no Broadway show they did not see (and they also sung many with family and friends at their player piano, hats, boas and all!).

Rita was the Rock of Gibraltar. She was a steady source of advice and support to her entire family and her many friends and colleagues. And, because of that, people continually came to her for that rock solid comfort and help. This pleased her immensely.

Rita could also be a hurricane, surging against an attorney, an unfairness or even (albeit briefly) a loved one who dared to try to either get one over on her or to get the better of her. Not happening.

But most of all, Rita was the sun - radiating energy, vibrance, and heat. Her sense of humor and cutting wit lit up many rooms. And, like the sun, which eventually sets and gives way to night, her energy and legacy will aways be reflected in all those who basked her light.

Memorial Service to be held at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 76th Street, New York City on Sunday, October 26 at 10:30am. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation to Southern Poverty Law Center, Dress for Success or any charitable organization that Rita would have been proud to support.