Bert and I first met almost 40 years ago when we were both employed as fundraisers for the National Jewish Hospital of Denver, Colorado. At the time Bert was a widow who often spoke fondly of her deceased husband Milton.

Shortly after the death of Bert's second husband, Al Hirshberg, Bert was in a very serious car accident and spent a great deal of time in the hospital. She was very brave and determined to go on with life, dedicating herself to proper rehabilitation by exercising and walking four miles each day to her job at BU.

At that time, Bert had become the copy editor of the BU magazine. She knew everybody who was anybody at BU. I was always impressed by her job which required very high literary and grammar skills. In addition, during her years of community activism and fundraising in Newton, she kept expanding her circle of friends and contacts. She was a very hard worker but at times could be sensitive about her own feelings and might complain a bit. However, she didn't give up fighting for what she believed was right.

Bert was also very interested in the arts and together, she and I were occasional museum-goers and attended theatre productions at the Huntington Theatre. She also liked the Harvard Theater and continued her subscription there long after I had lost interest in their choice of content. Bert was always up on what was in town, what was at the Museum of Fine Arts, and current books. She was a liberal.

Bert frequently talked about the doings of her two children with whom she had a close relationship through all the time I knew her. She made frequent visits to Indiana to see her daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren and then in recent years, great grandchildren. She often spoke of her sisters and although I don't remember exact words, I always felt she missed not having frequent contact since they both lived abroad for many years.

She was interested in many organizations and was the kind of person who pitched right in to whatever caught her attention or whatever she thought was an area in which she could achieve an affirmative result. She was always glad to be called upon to help.She was a dear woman and I will miss her.