Mark Richard Bernstein

CHARLOTTE - Mark Bernstein, long a leader in Charlotte's arts, civic and Jewish communities, died Monday, April 27, 2015. He was 85 years old, a retired lawyer, and in a long life of accomplishments, there was never a doubt as to what inspired him: His strong connection to Judaism, his deep affection for this city, and a love of family that moved him to shape the world for good. A native of York, Pa., Mark was a teen-ager when his family to North Carolina in 1948. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, served his country as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry during the Korean crisis, then earned a degree from Yale Law School. So began a life devoted to the law, and more. He became a partner in Charlotte's Parker Poe law firm in 1968, maintaining a retired-of-counsel status in his later years. His imprint is all over Charlotte and beyond. He helped conceive and execute the creation of Shalom Park in 1986, bringing nearly all of the city's Jewish institutions to one campus off Providence Road. Shalom Park has become a model for other Jewish communities. He co-chaired the Arts & Science Council's master plan out of which grew the Levine Center for the Arts on the southern end of uptown. He helped raise money for various worthy causes. Among the many organizations he served as president: Charlotte Symphony, Foundation for the Carolinas, Mecklenburg Bar Association, N.C. Economic Development Council, and Temple Beth El, the Reform Jewish congregation in which his family has long been active. Among the many boards on which he served: Charlotte Chamber, Davidson College Trustees, Family Dollar Stores, The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and N.C. Blumenthal Performing Arts Foundation. His mantel and memory box is filled with honors and awards reflecting his service. Mark lost his beloved wife of 58 years, E. Louise Bernstein, in 2013. He is survived by six children - Phillip Bernstein and his wife, Nancy Alexander, of New Haven, Conn.; Cary Bernstein and her husband, Alan Kronovet, of Charlotte; Adam Bernstein and his wife, Tammy Seigel, of Charlotte; Andrew Bernstein and his wife, Elka, of Charlotte; Jon Bernstein, of Boston; and Evan Finamore and her husband, Carl, of Evanston, Ill.; and 14 grandchildren he delighted in: Alyssa, Natalie, Rosie, Lana, Zoe, Eli, Shayna, Asher, Nathan, Jordan, Jacob, Jackson, Phoebe and Oliver. A service to celebrate Mark's life will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2015, at Temple Beth El, 5101 Providence Road, led by Rabbi Judy Schindler. A Shiva memorial service will be at 7:00 p.m. that evening at Temple Beth El. Memorials can be made to Foundation For The Carolinas, 220 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, N.C. 28202 or the nonprofit Spay Neuter Charlotte, 2017 N. Davidson St., Suite A, Charlotte, N.C. 28205. Hankins and Whittington Funeral Service is handling arrangements. Online condolences can be shared at www.hankinsandwhittington.com. What a wonderful life, in so many ways. He was passionate about all forms of art and intellectual pursuits. His house was full of books and periodicals. He kept journals for decades where he expounded on the nature of man's existence through the lenses of religion, politics, history, and philosophy. He traveled the world and took more than enough photographs to prove it. He loved keeping up with his children and grandchildren and their careers and varied interests. Charlotte's most influential figures sought his wisdom and quiet counsel, for he was a collaborator with a gift for finding solutions and making things happen. This was his legacy - a commitment to progress whether in the arts and humantities, the law or the life of the Jewish community. The world he would one day leave for future generations, he worked to make better.