Dorothy Lyons Berns

Dorothy Lyons Berns, 86, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, December 6, 2015, surrounded by her loving family.

Dorothy was born on October 2, 1929, in Hollywood, California, to Carl and Athmore Fields. She was the youngest of two daughters and she remained close to her sister Mary Lou Hoover, and her husband Chris, and his sister, Ruth, during her life.

Known for her engaging personality and sense of humor, Dorothy was a true child of the depression era, and when her parents divorced she and her sister entered an orphanage when Dorothy was two-years old. Over a period of twelve years Dorothy and her sister lived in boarding schools and foster care families until their father remarried and they joined Carl and his wife, Inez, in their home.

Those years of hardship gave rise to a strong and independent young woman. After graduating from Burbank High School with her life-long friend, Lynn Green, Dorothy attended U.S.C. and worked as a hostess and manager in the restaurant business, where she was first hired by Arthur Lyons.

Dorothy married and had two dear children, Kipp and Kerrie, who were always the center of her life. She later moved to South Pasadena with her family where she was the President of the P.T.A. in South Pasadena, and served for two years as the President of the Women's Auxiliary of the Los Angeles County Medical Association.

Dorothy subsequently moved with her children to Palm Springs where she re-entered the restaurant business. Working with her husband, Arthur Lyons, and his brother David Lyons, she helped in the opening of Lyons English Grille, which flourished as a well-known restaurant in Palm Springs for many years.

After Arthur's sudden passing in 1980, Dorothy married Earl Cohn and they shared an active life in Palm Springs, while opening their own restaurant and purchasing and revitalizing a long-standing candy company, "Fun in the Sun Candy." After seventeen years of marriage, Earl passed away and several years later, Dorothy married Jerry Berns, who had been a co-owner with his brother, Charlie, in the "21 Club" restaurant in New York. During their marriage, they happily divided their time between Manhattan, The Hamptons and Rancho Mirage. After Jerry's passing, Dorothy continued to live in Rancho Mirage, and served as an advisory member of the Rancho Mirage Public Library Advisory Commission.

Dorothy's friends and family remember her for her grace, charm and dignity, sometimes during periods of great adversity. She broke her back on three separate occasions, as if each accident marked a separate point in her life, and in each instance she recovered, often living courageously and silently with physical pain. For those fortunate enough to share her life, they shared their love with a beautiful and vivacious woman who lived her life with courage and passion.

Dorothy is survived by her children Kipp (Tracy) Lyons and Kerrie (John) Forster, and her grandchildren Terah and Arianna Lyons, and Kyle and Marilyn Weiskopf. Dorothy is also survived by her sister Mary Lou (Chris) Hoover.


Service information for friends and family of Dorothy Lyons Berns: There will be a Memorial Park service held at Palm Springs Memorial Park, on Thursday, December 10, 2015, presided by Rabbi David Lazar.


In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to:
• The Neuro Vitality Center, formerly known as the Palm Springs Stroke Recovery Center
• The Rancho Mirage Public Library Foundation
• Jewish Family Service of the Desert