Esther Bernstein was born into this world in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on August 1, 1926, and left it on May 18, 2025, at the age of 98 (and 3/4). She was a force to be reckoned with from the start. She lived through the greatest period of change in our history and held so much wisdom. She spent her final years at St. Clare and was so well taken care of – we have so much gratitude for the care and love the staff gave to her, especially her CNAs Lyn and Analyn.
She married the love of her life, Stanley, who fondly called her Blondie, in 1948. Stanley and Esther moved to Newport in 1955 when Stanley worked at Newport Furniture. Stanley passed in 1980, and Esther never remarried but held onto their love until her final day on this earth.
Esther worked for the Naval Alcohol Rehab Unit in Newport for many years until retiring in 1997 at the age of 70. All the “boys”, as she called them, would come to her for advice and guidance because of her loving and caring nature.
Esther touched an infinite number of people’s lives, who she laughed with and danced with and who she shared stories and memories with. She had an innate ability to see the good in whomever she met and made them feel special. She treated everyone as her best friend and every man she met was her “new boyfriend”. She loved to laugh and would say “as long as you make me laugh, I love you”. Telling jokes was one of her great pleasures. She greeted everyone with “Hello my darling” and loved to hear their stories. Everyone was gorgeous and beautiful to Esther, and she really made you feel gorgeous and beautiful when you were in her presence.
She lived life fully and with pure joy. She was an eternal optimist and believed anything was possible. She found excitement in all parts of her existence and was a master at creating her own reality. For most of her life, she could be found on the dance floor. She would always cheer the loudest – clapping and yelling “yay” after every song. She had a deep passion for music and loved seeing her son Alan play jazz, calling herself his “number one groupie”. She loved to hear her daughter Susan sing and would say she had the voice of an angel. She took great joy in hearing her granddaughter Chelsea play the cello. She loved her granddaughter Rachael and enjoyed bragging to everyone about how “brilliant” she was and what she was doing. She adored her grandson Stephen and savored his sweetness. She was obsessed with her great grandchild, Ada, and had an immediate bond with her since birth. She was so proud of her family and would tell everyone she met about how wonderful they were.
Esther is survived by her daughter Susan and her husband James McGann, her son Alan and his wife Karen O’Brien, her grandson Stephen, her granddaughter Rachael and her husband Elijah and his daughter Raya, her granddaughter Chelsea and her husband Frank and their daughter Ada. She is also survived by many nephews, nieces and cousins.
She was predeceased by her adoring husband Stanley Jordan Bernstein, loving sister Beatrice Beer, and parents Benjamin Bernstein and Ida Shalov Bernstein.
We will miss her dearly in the physical world, but she will live with us forever in our hearts. We will always love you, mom / nana / bubbie / blondie. We know she is together again with her Stanley dancing and laughing.
There will be a private graveside service, and a public celebration of her life held later so all who loved Esther can come together and honor her with a big party.
Memorial donations in her memory and honor can be made to two organizations that were important to Esther and her family: Huntington’s Disease Society of America CT Chapter,101 Deer Run Drive, Colchester, CT 06415, https://connecticut.hdsa.org/, or to the Newport String Project, https://www.newportstringproject.org/donate
Arrangements are by the Chevra Kadisha Association of Newport County.
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