Bern was a 1942 graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School, in The Bronx. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing at Brooklyn College, in 1950, and his MFA at the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop at the University of Iowa, in 1952.
Bernard Kovit was a proud American and World War II combat veteran. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1943, and landed in France on D-Day where he participated in storming the beaches at Normandy. His unit moved through Alsace-Lorraine, crossed the Maginot line, and into Germany. Bernard Kovit served as one of the leaders of the Field Artillery Observation Battalion, making meteorological judgments to more properly direct artillery cannons, particularly during the Battle of the Bulge. Bernard and his unit were also with the Fourth Armored Division, which liberated a Nazi concentration camp inside Germany. He spoke Yiddish fluently, and communicated with Jewish survivors at the camp, writing letters to their families in the United States to let them know they were alive.
Bernard started his professional career in 1952 as principal at Elim High School in South Carolina, where he taught English and science, and coached the basketball and softball teams. Later he became a professional editor, starting with writing and editing aircraft and weapon systems technical manuals for Royer and Rogers. Later, he became the associate editor for SPACE/AERONAUTICS Magazine, published by Conover-Mast. He then commenced his main career as the manager of marketing and communications at Grumman Corp. in Bethpage, N.Y., also serving as the editor and publisher of “Grumman Horizons,” an award winning trade magazine devoted to aviation and space technology. For Horizons, he helped introduce the Lunar Module and Navy F-14 carrier-based fighter jet to the world. He interviewed Isaac Asimov as well as several noted astronauts for featured articles. He retired from Grumman in 1994, after 31 years.
On February 5th, 1950, he married his lovely and adoring wife, Rosalyn Rosen. After living in Iowa, South Carolina, Baltimore, and Brooklyn for several years, they eventually settled down in Bayswater, Far Rockaway, New York where they raised their kids, Paul, Charles, and Emilie. In 1979 Roz and Bern bought a house in Woodsburgh, New York where they enjoyed the majority of their retired life, before moving to the Bristol of North Woodmere in 2018.
Bernard loved hosting large family gatherings for the Jewish holidays. He was masterful at conducting Passover seders, in fluent Hebrew. He also enjoyed eating out at restaurants, and spending time with his friends and family as much as possible. Bernard loved being a father and then a grandfather. His grandchildren called him Daddad and for decades his license plate on his cars said DADDAD.
Bernard was a true intellectual, who could speak authoritatively over a wide array of subjects in history, science and technology. If his car broke down, he could usually fix it himself, with the tools in his trunk. A creative artist in so many ways, he was a natural painter, sketch artist, sculptor, singer, and actor. He was able to identify the genus of any bird, discuss the mechanics and history of any airplane, loved animals, and was very knowledgeable about all forms of wildlife and nature. He was also an inventor and held several patents. He could find junked furniture on the side of the road, and rehabilitate it to showcase condition. Bernard loved tennis and fast cars, especially his green convertible Triumph TR-4. He was also a big Yankees and Giants fan. He was a Talmud and Torah scholar and at one point considered being a rabbi. He was known for his handsome looks, amiable and warm personality, patience and intelligence. Bernard was liked and respected by everyone he met.
In his retirement, Bernard loved traveling all over the world with Rosalyn and Rosalyn’s brother and sister-in-law. Bernard loved spending time with his grandchildren. He could always be relied on to help with school assignments, assist with art projects, play make-believe games, and write stories. He loved hanging out with family pets, drawing Donald Duck in a sailor uniform, going to the Malverne Movie Theater, eating frozen yogurt from Hewlett Station Yogurt, and eating out at the Sherwood Diner.
He is lovingly remembered and missed by his wife, Rosalyn, his children, Paul, Charles, and Emilie, his children-in-law, Liz, Meryl, and Andy, and his granddaughters, Mallory, Brianna, and Ada.
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