Bebe R. Berkoff

Bebe R. Berkoff, November 2, 2023, age 83, of Bayside. Preceded in death by beloved husband Marshall Berkoff. Treasured mother of Mark (Anne) Berkoff, Jonathan (Elissa) Berkoff, and Adam (Jennifer) Berkoff. Dear grandmother of Alex, Bella, Marie, and Ben Berkoff; Eliana (Mark) Meyer and Kira Berkoff, Craig and Dylan Kravetz; and Abra Berkoff. Adoring great-grandmother of Sylvia Rose Meyer. Loving sister of Ginny (Lance) Johnson and Linda (the late Gerry) Schafer. Further survived by beloved nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. Special thanks to Caring Senior Services and all of their devoted and loving caregivers who enabled Bebe to continue to live in her home. Bebe was born in Chicago to parents Sidney and Violet Brandwein. Bebe was the oldest of three sisters (Ginny Johnson and Linda Schafer). She attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she met the love of her life, Marshall Berkoff. They were married on June 19, 1960. After living in Boston for several years they moved back to the Midwest, settling in Milwaukee, where Bebe and Marshall raised three boys. Bebe had so many wonderful and varied passions in life that it would be impossible to distill them into a simple summary. Bebe was an educator who specialized in speech impediments and was an active volunteer in the community. She was an avid lover of nature and animals, being the most wonderful cat and dog mother possible to so many beloved family pets. She adored watching sunsets with her loved ones and always set out a spread of cheese, crackers and a soothing beverage. She relished watching the wildlife at their cabin in Door County, especially the many and varied bird species that paid her regular visits (with a Peterson Field Guide and a pair of binoculars always within reach). She was an equestrian and was able to achieve one of her great desires in life, being able to care for, love and ride her beloved horses, Surfside and Vanilla, eventually learning and performing dressage. Bebe was an expert potter and artist, forging the most beautiful and special works of art in ceramic. She opened a business, Creekside Pottery, in Cedarburg, and operated a pottery studio and gallery there for many, many years. She was an avid reader and a true lover of books and her staple New York Times. She was always eager to strike up an engaging conversation with anyone she met and truly soaked up those experiences. But above all Bebe loved her family and loved life, with the zest and spirit we should all emulate. Bebe loved to travel with her family, near and far, with Europe, the desert west and Door County being among her favorite destinations. She was passionate about art and always eager to embrace different cultures (especially British and Asian), cuisines and languages, and she loved to share those experiences, traditions and learning opportunities with her family at every turn. She was a tremendous cook and baker and loved passing those skills along to her family. She had so much love and affection for all of her family members, loved ones, dear friends and, later in life, her caregivers. And she left an indelible mark on all in the most wonderful way possible. Bebe Berkoff was our shining light. The twinkle in her eyes, the smile that lit up a room, the bubbly laugh and the indefatigable spirit. She will be dearly loved and missed, an emptiness that only serves to highlight in sharp relief the great breadth and depth of her influence, love and joy which filled our lives. May her memory be a blessing. Funeral services 11 AM Monday, November 6, 2023 at Congregation Shalom, 7630 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point. Entombment following services at Spring Hill Cemetery, 166 S. Hawley Ct., Milwaukee. Memorials to Morris Animal Foundation, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, or The Nature Conservancy. If you are unable to join in person, Live Streaming - hosted by Congregation Shalom (cong-shalom.org) https://www.cong-shalom.org/live-streaming.html

Bebe R. Berkoff

May 11, 1940 - November 2, 2023