Deborah “Debbie” Bern

Deborah “Debbie” Bern was born on August 23, 1931, in the city of Hartford, Connecticut. She was the daughter of the late Rebecca (née Lattman) and Rabbi Jesse Schwartz, and beloved spouse of 65 years to the late Charles Bern.  Debbie grew up in Montreal, Canada. She earned her college degree at McGill University and her master’s in social work at Smith College in Massachusetts.

Debbie’s early career included work as a supervisor for Child Protective Services in the County of Westchester, NY.  Ever a forward thinker, Debbie was among the first to recognize—and brave enough to speak out about—the toll that addiction and mental health concerns could take on employee well-being and productivity. At a time when the “three-martini lunch” was still the norm and the very words “mental health” were discouraged in the workplace, she created Employee Guidance Systems, LLC, which went on to provide employee assistance programs for Pennsylvania Power and Light, General Electric, and NBC at Rockefeller Center in New York.

For the next 45 years, Debbie dedicated her life to helping people find solutions to the challenges in their lives or those of their loved ones, ultimately giving them permission to feel and, most importantly, to heal.

Debbie is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles Bern and sister, Carmel Schwartz.  She is survived by her three daughters, Elana (née Bern) Beckman and (her husband Evan), Judi (née Bern) Townsend, and Jessica Bern, her grandchildren Rachel, Adam (his wife Katherine Rich), Zachary, Emma and, Phoebe and by the many letters of gratitude and life updates she received from her patients throughout her many years of practice.

Funeral Services will be held at Temple Emanuel in Newton, MA on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at 10:30am. Friends and family are invited to sit Shiva at the house of Elana and Evan Beckman on Wednesday August 20, and Thursday, August 21, from 7-9pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Temple Emanuel 385 Ward St., Newton, Massachusetts 02459.