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He calls it a 'bachelor's pad'
By Aislinn Fahy
State Press
Berman has lived alone since his wife Ruth died in 1990, one month before their 55th wedding anniversary. He stays busy with free-lance photography and is a member of the Ex Press Club of the Sun Cities. He is the director of art at his Jewish temple and is involved in military and other volunteer organizations in the community.
He was honored last month by the American Legion in Sun City, Post 101 for his 50 years of membership and service. He had served as a commander of Pittsburgh's legion for several years.
His home, or "bachelor's pad" as he likes to call it, is full of medals, awards and trophies carelessly strewn on shelves. Some have spilled into the garage for lack of room.
His trademark smile, captured in a larger-than-life sketch that was done by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette upon his retirement 19 years ago, now hangs in his living room. Today, the smile is just as bright, but the charcoal pencil did not do justice to his vibrant eyes and animated expressions.
Berman got up from his red cushioned arm chair, below some award-winning pictures, and moved briskly across the room to his collection of scrapbooks. The brown leather books are jammed with yellowed clippings that span more than half a century.
His tan hands moved across the pages, pointing to friends and acquaintances from his Pittsburgh days. There's a picture of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, who owned the Pirates at one time. He paused when he got to Jackie Gleason, who at the time was performing in Pittsburgh. In this photo, Gleason was at the ballpark, in a baseball uniform, sitting in a large arm chair in front of first plate.
"He was such a funny guy," Berman said, laughing as he remembered the heavy comedian pretending to watch the game as if he were in the stands. "He would get an idea for a stunt and nobody could stop him."
The hallway of Berman's home is decorated with photos of people and places. When viewed collectively, they round out the mental picture of photojournalism in its shining moment.
Despite his busy schedule, Berman manages to squeeze in some free time to enjoy some of the pleasures that other retirees do. The golf course is right around the corner from his charming home, and two to three times a week, he drives his golf cart to the course and tees off.
"I'm not so bad out there, but I think I make it look easy," Berman said, laughing sarcastically. "I really enjoy it so I try to get out there as much as I can."
Berman has participated in a number of Sun City's golf tournaments and has helped run most of them for the past 15 years.
When he isn't cruising the fairways in his personal golf cart, he is dancing the night away at the Sun Dial, a local dance hall. Berman goes with his fiancee, Diana Tollefson, whom he has been dating for six years.
"We're a pretty good team out there," he said. "We love to just go out there and dance and twirl around to the big band music."
Berman said he met Diana, a painter, years ago when she was the social editor for the Sun City newspaper and he was doing some free-lance work. They started dating a couple of years after his wife died.
"She is a wonderful woman, so I guess I should hurry up and marry her," Berman said, laughing at what he calls his good fortune at having been "blessed" with two incredible women in his lifetime.
More on the Morris Berman's life & art |
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