He was born in New Rochelle, New York, June 27, 1921, the son of the late William S. and Ethel (Cohen) Berkowitz. He attended New Rochelle High School and received a bachelor’s degree from New York University in 1942.

Following four years in the U.S. Maritime Service in World War II, he joined the Manager’s Staff of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. in 1946.  He was one of the founders of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., which grew to become the flagship of the American community theater movement, and served as an officer and member of its Board of Trustees from 1950 until 1991.

In 1949, he left the National Symphony Orchestra staff to become Assistant Manager of the Hayes Concert Bureau in Washington, which served as the local presentation auspices for the leading classical musical artists, opera and dance companies, and orchestras of the world.  Following ten years in this position, he entered the School of Library and Information Science of the Catholic University of America in Washington and received a Master of Science in Library Science degree in January, 1961.  He subsequently served for five years as Branch Librarian in the District of Columbia Public Library System.  In 1966, he joined the National Library of Medicine at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, retiring as Chief of the Reference Services Division in August, 1984.

He was married to Mary C. Magnum for several years before her passing in 1973.  He married Edith A. Strickland in 1974.  Edith passed away in 2006.

Mr. Berkowitz was recipient of the Director’s Honor Award of the National Library of Medicine in 1976.  He was a member of the national library honor fraternity, Beta Phi Mu, and was a founding member and first president of the chapter at The Catholic University.  He was designated a Fellow of the Medical Library Association in 1985 and a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals by the Association.  He received a Certificate of Merit from the US Department of Health and Human Services upon his retirement in 1984.

He is survived by his stepson, Ted (Arlene) Strickland of Chattanooga, Tennessee as well as his grandson, Daniel (Jessica) Strickland and their children Nathaniel Cowles and Asher Charles Strickland;  his five granddaughters, Kimberly (Robert) Tucker of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Emily (Matthew) Carter of Topsham, ME, Eva Rodd of Portland, ME, Abigail (Joel) Rodd of Cooperstown, NY and Amanda (Mark) Rodd of New York, NY;  great-grandchildren, Charles, James, Ella, Annie, Elliot, Esme, and Leo; his nieces Wendy Cook of Niskayuna, NY,  Dorothy Berke and Natalie Berke Smith of Sacramento, CA.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Berky’s honor at Applewood in Amherst on October 18^th at 10:30 am.