Ida Bershad

On Monday, June 22nd, 2020, Ida Silverman Bershad, 89, beloved partner, sister, mother, and grandmother, died peacefully at her home in Salem, Massachusetts. Born in Boston in 1931, she grew up in Mattapan and then Brookline, where she attended the Devotion School and Brookline High School. She then earned a bachelor degree from Syracuse University and began a career in retail at Filene’s in Boston.

She married her husband, Vigdor P. Bershad, in June of 1953 after a whirlwind courtship. They were blessed with a loving marriage and four beautiful children, who they raised together in Marblehead. Despite the loss of her husband in 1999, Ida remained vibrant and active with the support of her family and circle of dear friends. She was extremely fortunate to find love again later in life with her partner, Edward Snow, with whom she shared both joys and challenges over the last ten years. Ed referred to her as his “Mulligan” because she was his second chance at life.

Those who knew Ida will remember her passion for flowers. She adored flowers and plants of all kinds and had the greenest of thumbs. She was a professional floral designer whose arrangements provided the perfect setting for many special occasions. An avid gardener, she was active in a number of local garden clubs and taught master classes in floral design. Her participation in “Art in Bloom” at the MFA in Boston was one of her annual highlights. She was also a talented painter.

Ida also loved to travel. Over the decades, she toured the world with both friends and family. She made her way to all seven continents, laughing, eating and dancing all the way.

Anyone who ever sat at a card table with Ida will know that she was a bit of a shark. She could and would play any game that involved cards or dice or tiles. She especially loved to play bridge and Mahjong at every opportunity. She was also not above playing on the floor with small children, splashing in the pool and sliding down snowy hills.

Ida was a gracious hostess and loved to entertain. She kept a lovely home and made everyone who visited feel warm and welcome. She was a gifted listener and a thoughtful advisor. She was a loyal friend and sustained many lifelong friendships, but always had room in her heart for more – more people to know and enjoy, more friends to laugh and cry with, and more family to love and support unconditionally.

Ida is survived by her sons, Barry Bershad and his wife Susan of Mansfield, Massachusetts, Lou Bershad and his wife Maureen Ryall of Jamestown, Rhode Island, and her grandchildren Paul, Benjamin, Melissa, and Daniel. She also leaves her sister, Marcia Bartzoff, and her husband Burt, of Salem, Massachusetts.

She will be sincerely missed by her partner, Edward Snow of Salem and her new extended family – his children Nancy Snow and David Owens, Linda and Mark Dockser, Michael Snow and Elizabeth Lemons, and his grandchildren Hannah, Ben, Joshua, Aaron, Jennie, Abigail, and Nathaniel.

She is pre-deceased by her parents, Pauline (Polly) Silverman and Louis I. Silverman, her stepfather, Abe Sacks, her husband Vigdor Bershad, her daughter Robin and her son William.

Ida had a smile that would light up a room and a heart big enough for the whole world. She will be sorely missed. Please think of her when you see a beautiful flower.

Services will be private.

In lieu of the flowers that Ida so loved, please consider donating to a charity dear to your heart