Bernard Aaron Marson

Bernard Marson was born on March 21,1931 in New York City to Etta and Alexander Marson. He died peacefully in his sleep on July 9, 2022 at his home in Los Angeles.

Bernie's life was filled with adventure and travel. He hitchhiked across America before Jack Kerouac popularized the idea. He made a trip around the globe with 40 stops. He served as a nuclear weapons officer in the Air Force during the Korean War. He lived in Greenland for six months designing military bases. On 7/7/77 he met and later married his "glorious wife" Ellen Engelson, the love of his life. Despite his extended bachelorhood, he felt strongly that his life began in earnest then. They raised two children together, Alex and Eve, of whom he was extraordinarily proud.

Bernie was born in the Bronx, the child of an immigrant father from a shtetl near Minsk. Bernie shared his father's wonder for the overpasses and bridges being built in New York, and went on to study civil engineering and architecture. He had a long career as an architect - working first with Marcel Breuer on projects, including supervision of the construction of the Whitney Museum on Madison Avenue, and later branching out into his own projects. Bernie's career took an unexpected turn in the late 1970s, when he began restoring the dilapidated warehouses in the neglected SoHo district and converting them to live-work lofts and storefronts. In 2010 Bernie Marson was recognized as a fellow of the American Institute of Architects for what he did to create SoHo as we know it.

Bernie was known as an unflinching optimist and a charismatic raconteur. He had a unique gift for capturing all the nuances and humor in life — and he always nailed the punchline. Bernie loved his family and extended network of friends above all else, and so many were spurred on by his genuine support and appreciation. He also had soft spots for Zabar's, Tim Russert, minimalism, John Le Carré, World War II stories, Humphrey Bogart and any kind of jam, pastry or ice cream.

He was always reading - and could share what he had learned with extraordinary retention of detail and charm. He continued his love of travel with family trips until the very end of his life. The adventures were meticulously documented in his notes and eventually in videos, which he edited with love. Although he often insisted that he was a "man of the people," he certainly appreciated all the finer things in life and never hesitated to spoil his friends and family.

As much as he loved New York, without missing a beat, Bernie and Ellen moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to be full-time grandparents. He fulfilled his life-long dream of living in California, which he often described as "goddamn paradise."

How did he pull it off? If you asked Bernie, he would say it was all due to one simple word: luck.

Bernie was preceded in death by his brother Bobby, is survived by his wife Ellen, his children Alex (Valentina) and Eve (Adam), his grandchildren Zeke and Sarina, and so many friends and relatives who remember him with love.

A memorial service will be held on July 31st 2022 in New York City at 6:00pm, location to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made for the commemoration of a bench in Central Park here:

http://support.centralparknyc.org/goto/Bernie_Marson