Press Club of Southwest Florida member Cynthia S. Bercowetz, of Naples, Fla. and Bloomfield, Conn., died Wednesday, April 6 in Naples. She was attending a Naples Lions Club meeting and suffered a stroke from which she did not recover. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 31 years, Herman Bercowetz. She was born in Pittsfield, Mass., the daughter of Louis and Grace (Miinsky) Barnett. A graduate of American International College in Springfield, Mass., Cynthia went on to obtain a Master’s degree from Trinity College, Conn.
She began a career as a consumer advocate at the Connecticut Hartford Times in 1963 with her “Dear George” column which she eventually continued at the Journal Inquirer, also in Connecticut. She went on to perform in local theater in the 1970s and then moved into producing her own weekly public access television show, in Bloomfield, for consumer education. In 1993, she was named “Woman of the Year” by the Greater Hartford Business and Professional Women’s Club.
Cynthia S. Bercowetz
A longtime member of Beth Hillel Synagogue in Bloomfield, Cynthia was also an active member in both the Bloomfield and Naples Lions Clubs.
Later in life she found her creative outlet in writing children’s books, the last of which featured her much-loved dog Abigail.
Cynthia is survived by a son, two daughters, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A funeral was held Monday, April 11, at the Beth Hill Synagogue in Bloomfield. Interment followed at the Beth Hillel Cemetery.
Donations in her memory may be made to the Beth Hillel Synagogue or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Her son Allan Kallman shared his thoughts on Cynthia’s Facebook page:
“My mother was a very strong-willed, vibrant woman. She was 86 years young and just didn’t stop. She couldn’t, she was driven. She spent her life helping people. She was a reporter with a passion for consumer affairs. She was their advocate. Had a problem? Tell it to George. She had the tenacity to go after the business or manufacturer that wronged their customer. She made it right. After she left the paper she continued writing. She wrote self-help books. She wrote a cookbook. She wrote children’s stories that were both topical and informative. Those books also featured her grandchildren. She was quite proud of them. She had Grandpa Herman reading them his story. We’ll all miss her, and when we get together for Mother’s Day this year, we’ll leave an empty seat for her.”