Roberta Matthews Bernstein

Roberta Matthews Bernstein of Potomac, Maryland passed away on August 10. 2023. She was born in Washington DC on June 13, 1942, and graduated from the University of Maryland. She was married to another native Washingtonian, Dr. J. Edgar Bernstein from 1963 until his death in 1999. Roberta focused on raising their three children through the 1970s and continued her education in the 1980s, achieving a Masters in Communications from American University. She subsequently worked as the Fashion Editor of the Potomac Almanac, and later became the Public Relations Manager for Neiman Marcus from 1993 to 2001. After her retirement from the luxury chain, Roberta renewed a lifelong interest in art becoming a botanical painter. As part of the artists’ group Studio 155, Roberta contributed paintings to exhibitions at local galleries as well as commissioned shows including “Botanical Treasures of Lewis & Clark: New Art for the Bicentennial” in 2006 at the Corcoran Gallery of Art commemorating the 200th anniversary of the renowned expedition, and “Beyond Words: The Symbolic Language of Plants” in 2012 at the Delaware Art Museum. She also contributed to “Simple Gifts” in 2010, the annual booklet commissioned by The White House for Holiday season visitors. In addition to her artistic work, she was a lifelong supporter of the Washington Ballet.

She is survived by her three children, Johanna Bernstein (Adrian Mann), Aaron Bernstein and Melanie Bernstein (Warrick Smith), and two grandchildren.