Official Obituary of
Barry Bortnick
May 20, 1939 ~ May 25, 2019 (age 80) 80 Years Old
Barry Bortnick Obituary
BARRY BORTNICK, 80, educator, lyricist, composer, died on May 25, 2019, in his home in Silver Spring, Maryland. Barry is survived by his son David, daughter-in-law Susan, and three granddaughters Naomi, Eliya, and Mikala of Cabin John, and by his partner, Sharon Newman of Silver Spring.
Barry was born in Boston on May 20, 1939, as the younger son of Rose and Philip Bortnick. Barry attended Boston Latin School, the first public school in the country. He moved to Cambridge in the 1960's to attend Harvard College, earning a B.A., M.Ed., and Ph.D., all the while playing French horn in the Harvard Band.
Barry's dissertation in social psychology explored human creativity and the development of an individual's interest in the arts. Barry also studied in London and was a Fulbright Scholar in Denmark. After graduating, Barry served as Director of Psychological Research for the Kodaly Music Center in Boston.
The weather, marriage, and the birth of David, brought him to Los Angeles in the 1970's where he would dedicate his career to continuing and adult education. As Program Director for Humanities at UCLA Extension for more than two decades, Barry brought many of the pioneers of our time, including Chuck Yeager, Viktor Frankl, Whoopie Goldberg, and the Dalai Lama, to share their insights with tens of thousands in the Los Angeles area. He was also the founding director of UCLA's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
When not at work, Barry loved to write music. His first musical, "Tivoli" was inspired by the amusement park of the same name he used to stroll through in Copenhagen. Barry also produced a variety of shows and songs performed in settings that focused on older adults, including the musical "Songs for the Second Half." Additionally, he authored pieces on the role of music in the lives of older adults. Later in life, Barry traveled back to the east coast and taught classes on the American musical at local universities, including American, George Mason, and Johns Hopkins.
Barry was an avid swimmer, skier, and hiker. He loved the outdoors, especially Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.
Barry died after a valiant, decade-long fight with multiple myeloma, just days after celebrating his 80th birthday with family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 10AM at Garden of Remembrance in Clarksburg. Memorials may be made to the environmental charity of your choice
14321 Comus Road
Clarksburg, MD, 20871
Barry was born in Boston on May 20, 1939, as the younger son of Rose and Philip Bortnick. Barry attended Boston Latin School, the first public school in the country. He moved to Cambridge in the 1960's to attend Harvard College, earning a B.A., M.Ed., and Ph.D., all the while playing French horn in the Harvard Band.
Barry's dissertation in social psychology explored human creativity and the development of an individual's interest in the arts. Barry also studied in London and was a Fulbright Scholar in Denmark. After graduating, Barry served as Director of Psychological Research for the Kodaly Music Center in Boston.
The weather, marriage, and the birth of David, brought him to Los Angeles in the 1970's where he would dedicate his career to continuing and adult education. As Program Director for Humanities at UCLA Extension for more than two decades, Barry brought many of the pioneers of our time, including Chuck Yeager, Viktor Frankl, Whoopie Goldberg, and the Dalai Lama, to share their insights with tens of thousands in the Los Angeles area. He was also the founding director of UCLA's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
When not at work, Barry loved to write music. His first musical, "Tivoli" was inspired by the amusement park of the same name he used to stroll through in Copenhagen. Barry also produced a variety of shows and songs performed in settings that focused on older adults, including the musical "Songs for the Second Half." Additionally, he authored pieces on the role of music in the lives of older adults. Later in life, Barry traveled back to the east coast and taught classes on the American musical at local universities, including American, George Mason, and Johns Hopkins.
Barry was an avid swimmer, skier, and hiker. He loved the outdoors, especially Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.
Barry died after a valiant, decade-long fight with multiple myeloma, just days after celebrating his 80th birthday with family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 10AM at Garden of Remembrance in Clarksburg. Memorials may be made to the environmental charity of your choice
Gazebo Service
MAY 28. 10:00 AM
Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park14321 Comus Road
Clarksburg, MD, 20871
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In Loving Memory Of
Barry Bortnick
May 20, 1939-May 25, 2019
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