Bruce Bernstein, 89, a long-time resident of Rockville, MD, passed away at White Oak Adventist Hospital in Silver Spring, MD on Sunday, November 29. Bruce is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Valerie (nee Gordon), his sons, Neil Bernstein of Rockville and Mark Bernstein (Carolyn Weiss) of Bethesda, and his cherished granddaughter Lila. Of special relationship is Bruce's cousin, Carol Abrams (Hal) of Del Ray Beach, FL. who held a long and special place in his life, his mid-life reconnection with his cousin Juliet of Sydney, Australia ....and decades of love and bonding with his sister-in-law Rona (Gene) and his brother-in-law Noel (Toby).
Bruce was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was educated at City University of New York and Iowa State University, where he obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees in organic chemistry in 1953 and 1955, respectively. After working in the NY/NJ metropolitan area, Bruce joined the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Washington, DC in 1977, serving in both Staff and Management positions, culminating as Target Leader of the Underground Distribution Program prior to his retirement in 2001. Post-retirement, he established his own consulting practice and continued to serve the industry as an expert in the field of electrical insulation until his final year of life.
He was honored to become an IEEE Fellow, and a member of the IEEE Dielectric and Electrical Insulation Society, the Power Engineering Society, the IEEE Insulated Conductors Committee, and the American Chemical Society. He also served as the U.S. representative to the CIGRE Study Committee for "Materials for Electrotechnology." One of Bruce's most-loved endeavors was teaching, as a Faculty member of the University of Wisconsin's Power Cable Engineering course. In addition, he authored a multitude of publications, patents and book chapters.
Bruce was a voracious reader -- with a particular interest in world history and science - there was always a book in his hand. . He could never be bored; there was too much to read and learn about. So many words describe him - but the word that stands out is Inquisitive - about everything. He was an avid reader of Free Inquiry and a believer in Secular Humanism. A t-shirt his wife bought him that read "So Many Books - So Little Time" was so perfect for him. An avid fan of Star Trek, he, himself authored several several short science fiction stories. A spectator of sports, his first love was the good old Brooklyn Dodgers, followed by the New York Mets....and, here in our area, spent many a time viewing the team games of DC and Univ. of MD.
But highest on his list, Bruce was a man who was intense about making the best contribution he could in his field of work ....He valued logic and reason in all aspects of his life....He was basically a quiet man, but caring and warm....His family was most important to him....they were his foundation....his wife, his sons....his fondness for his daughter-in-law Carolyn ... and his utter joy as a grandfather of Lila.
He cared about the world and the small contribution he could make to it in his lifetime through his work.
Most importantly, he was a loved and loving man.
If you care to make a donation in Bruce's memory, his favored organizations are: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research, Disabled American Veterans, Sierra Club, and St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.
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