Phyllis Blackman

Phyllis Bernstein Weisman Blackman died peacefully of natural causes at her longtime

Greenwich, Conn., home on Feb. 8. She was 92.

The daughter of Bernard “Bunny” and Ethel Bernstein, whose family owned National Silver

Industries and F.B. Rogers Silver Co., known for consumer and specialty silver-plated tableware

and hollowware, Phyllis grew up on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and attended The Dalton

School. She left school to raise a small family before returning later in life to Purchase College,

SUNY.

An avid reader and lover of classical music, Phyllis enjoyed helping family members with advice

and support. She had a great love for animals, reserving her greatest affection for her bichon

frise, Sugar. A cherished companion, Sugar was a source of joy and comfort.

Phyllis also had a public side, enjoying extensive world travel, especially cruises to faraway and

exotic places. One of her claims to fame, and a piece of family lore, was her status as comedian

Joan Rivers’ oldest childhood frenemy.

Rivers was incensed over Phyllis’ casting above her for the role of Snow White in the annual

Kinni Kinnic summer camp play. Later interactions reportedly resulted in Rivers being dismissed

from camp based on some of Phyllis’ antics. Rivers featured those events prominently in her

autobiography.

Phyllis later returned the favor by outing some of Rivers’ outrageous behavior for The National

Enquirer supermarket tabloid, Much later in life, the two reconciled backstage at a New York

City Rivers performance.

Phyllis was married for more than 35 years to A. Budd Weisman, a top executive at National

Silver Co., before his death in 1984. She later was married for more than 30 years to Arthur

Blackman of Newton, Mass. He died in September 2025.

Phyllis is survived by her son, Daniel Weisman of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and daughter Amy

Weisman of Manhattan, New York, as well as Marjorie Levin, a sister of Newton Centre, Mass,,

a nephew Edwin Levin Jr. of Stonington, Conn. and a niece Sarah Levin Bourque of Ashland,

Mass, and Phyllis' stepchildren, Keith Blackman of Franklin, Mass., and Lisa Nathanson of

Sharon, Mass.