Bernice Handelman

Mother of 3 sons, grandmother of six, and great grandmother of seven, Bernice Weiss Handelman passed away October 20, 2022 following a period of declining health. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Bernice was a dedicated wife. ‘Niecie’ was blessed in life to have loved two very good men, Jack, the father of her three sons, who died of leukemia in 1980, and Edward Handelman, a WWII pilot who served his nation honorably and died in 2012. Niecie was forever 29 years old. She more than held her own against father time, both in appearance as well as in spirit. Athletic in youth, and still well into her late 60’s, you did not want to want to compete against Niecie in a weekend tennis match. A Jets fan for many years while living in NJ, Niecie became a dedicated Tampa Rays fan after moving to Florida. Rays outfielder, Kevin Klermaier, was a personal favorite player, which had more to do with his appearance than his baseball skill. Bernice was preceded in death by her parents, Henrietta and Ralph Wiener, by husbands Jack and Edward, and by her much adored sister, Lynn Cohen, as well as brother-in-law, Phil Cohen. She was preceded in death by her son Marc, a gut punch from which Niecie never completely recovered. No parent should have to bury a child, but Bernice never lost her spiritual connection with her adventurous middle son, Marc. She is survived by her two loving sons, Robert, the oldest and self-described ‘favorite’ son and also Brian, the youngest and demonstrably most gifted of her 3 boys. Daughters-in-law Diane Goldstein Weiss and Susan Whitacre Weiss, are ‘in-law’ only in a legal sense. In fact, had Bernice produced biologic daughters, as she mentioned she wished she had on more than one occasion, she could not have been more proud of those daughters. Bernice is also survived by her brother. Joseph Wiener of Arizona, her numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, and her much loved nieces and nephews who will miss their Aunt Niecie. Bernice lived a full life and she enjoyed travel and adventure for many years. She enjoyed time spent with family and dear friends. Truly, hers was a life well-lived. Niecie was much loved and she will be greatly missed. Goodbye mom, until we see you again. Burial will be private.

Tributes

Bernice Handelman

April 23, 1929 - October 20, 2022