Shirley Berman

A funeral service for Shirley will be held Thursday, December 28, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels, 2130 Highway 35, Ocean, NJ 07712. Following the funeral services will be a burial from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Beth Israel Cemetery, 1098 Woodbridge Center Drive, Woodbridge. Shirley Berman of Ocean Township, NJ, passed away on December 25, 2023. Born December 7, 1930, in the Bronx New York to Gussie (Himelman) and Isidor Steinhorn, Shirley’s life changed when her mother passed away when she was only 9 and her older brother Milton was 14. It was a time when single dads rarely raised little girls, so she lived with a variety of relatives. After graduating high school at 16 in 1947, Shirley attended Hunter College in New York, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry. After that, she went to work for Bellevue Hospital as a bacteriologist.

Shirley loved going to the beach. That’s why it was not surprising that she met her husband Gus at City Island Beach. Married in 1952, they settled in New Jersey, first in Bloomfield and then in White Meadow Lake, an idyllic lake community about an hour west of New York City. They raised two boys, Geoffrey and Richard, in the close-knit community there. After her youngest son began school, Shirley joined him, becoming a teacher in the local elementary school. She studied for and received a Master’s degree in teaching from William Paterson State College. Teaching was a passion, and she was beloved by generations of students. She was also, for a time, president of the local teachers’ union. She also enjoyed travel and adventure, and her sons still talk about their many family cross-country drives.

In 1993, Shirley retired from teaching, and along with Gus, they enjoyed their friends, family, and spending time each year in Florida during the winter. Both of their sons married – Richard to Jo-Anna, and Geoffrey to Julia – and in 2004, their granddaughter Rochelle was born. Shirley loved being a grandmother, especially reading to Rochelle, shopping with her, and of course, taking her to the beach. Following Gus’s death in 2005 after a lengthy illness, Shirley was able to return to her love of travel, with worldwide destinations such as the Galapagos Islands, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Mexico, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Turkey, and more.

Everyone loved Shirley. Shirley possessed an extremely unique blend of competency and kindness. People who met her for the first time always remarked on what a wonderful conversation they had. Never judgmental or controlling, she served as a beacon of good sense for countless friends and extended family members, including being a surrogate mother to her brother Milton’s children Susan and Bruce, among others. Her connections with extended family and friends spanned generations.

At a family party in September, Shirley – by then almost 93 and a survivor of two different cancers – danced the night away. Always happiest in the company of her family and friends, she glowed with enthusiasm and love. She was able to celebrate her 93rd birthday in early December.

Shirley is survived by her son Geoffrey (Julia) of Silver Spring, MD, her son Richard (Jo-Anna) of Haddonfield, NJ, her granddaughter Rochelle, who is pursuing a double degree from Barnard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City, her nephew Bruce Steinhorn (Anne) of Princeton Junction, NJ, her niece Susan Goldner (Jeff) of Seattle, WA, her nephew Stephen Semel (Mary Ellen) of Palos Verdes, CA, and four grand-nephews, Michael, Nolan, John and Ben.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 28, at 10 am at Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapel in Ocean, NJ, led by Rabbi Cy Stanway of Temple Beth Miriam, followed by interment at the Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, we suggest a donation to the American Cancer Society or the charity of your choice.