BRIGHTON- Passed away on December 27, 2024, at the age of 86. Predeceased by her husband, Alan Shank, (d.2022). Survived by her loving children, Steven (Anne Wright Shank) Shank and Naomi (Diomaye Faye) Shank; grandchildren, Daniel (Anna Schab), David, Jacob and Cilaw; sister Ruth (Barry )Farber; and nieces, cousins, and dear friends.

Bernice was born on February 13, 1938, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The middle daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Brody) Spizer, Bernice took piano lessons as a child. She became an accomplished pianist in her teens, serving as an accompanist for the Olney High School Orchestra in Philadelphia, a prestigious honor, and studied and performed at Tanglewood Music Center, the training academy of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She attended Temple University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1959, and married Alan Shank on March 4, 1960. During the first few years of her marriage, Bernice taught English to middle school students. She left teaching when she became pregnant with her first child, Steven, who was born in 1964. Her daughter, Naomi, was born in 1966.

In 1970, Bernice lived in Belgium and Germany when Alan taught for the US military. The family traveled throughout Europe and Bernice was inspired to pursue art. When they settled in Geneseo, NY, Bernice took art classes at SUNY Geneseo. She became a prolific and talented artist over the course of her lifetime. Curious and driven to learn about different art forms and improve her technique, she continued to take art classes throughout her life. She produced art in different mediums: drawing, painting, calligraphy, printing, weaving, and wood and clay sculpture. She utilized watercolors, oils and gold-leaf in her paintings. She loved to render colorfully-rich images, such as a bowl of fruit, cut flowers in a vase, potted garden plants and meadows of wildflowers and trees. She enjoyed painting landscapes, creating abstract images, interpreting famous artists’ works and she painted on canvases that ranged from several inches long to wall-sized.

Bernice served as the Hillel Director at the SUNY Geneseo Interfaith Center in the 1980s. Her faith was rooted in Judaism and she greatly enjoyed leading services and organizing holiday celebrations for Jewish students on campus. She valued interacting with clergy from other faiths at the Center, forming friendships with them and practicing interfaith understanding. Bernice returned to college, receiving a master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology when she was 54. For ten years, she worked as a speech therapist, working with young children in the Rochester area to help them improve their understanding of language and improve their skills in communication.

Bernice loved to study and have intellectual discussions on art and philosophy. She enjoyed attending classical music concerts and plays, loved the beach, swim in the ocean and vacation at the Jersey Shore, Cape Cod and Florida. She lived in Rochester for almost 40 years and enjoyed participating in the community and was active at Temple Brith Kodesh and the National Council for Jewish Women. Bernice was a devoted wife to Alan, who she was married to for 62 years, a loving mother to Steven and Naomi, a loving mother-in-law to Anne and Diomaye, and a doting grandmother to Daniel, David, Jacob and Cilaw. She loved all of her family and friends immensely and continued to play the piano and create art well into her eighties.

Chapel and Graveside Services will be held on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 10 am in White Haven Memorial Park (210 Marsh Road, Pittsford, NY 14534). Please meet at the Main Entrance. Shiva/Open House on January 5, from 1-4 pm, at the home of Naomi Shank, Geneva, NY. To leave a message of condolence, please visit www.brightonmc.com

Donations in Bernice’s memory can be made to either the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave., Rochester, NY 14607 (WEBSITE) or JCC Rochester, 1200 Edgewood Ave., Rochester, NY 14618 (WEBSITE)