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Bernice Kanner, the editor of WomensBiz.US
since 2002, died unexpectedly and prematurely
of a brain aneurysm on October 24. Only 57 years
old, the author, journalist and marketing expert,
exuded energy. A consummate risk taker, she
was full of life and always looking for the next
challenge.
In addition to being founding editor-in-chief
of WomensBiz.US, Kanner wrote for many of the
nation’s top publications including the
New York Times, the Daily News and Advertising
Age. One of her most heralded contributions was
her On Madison Avenue column, which ran in New
York magazine from 1981 to 1994. |
Kanner authored 12 books including, “Lies
My Parents Told Me” which she launched
on The Today Show in 1996 and “Are You
Normal?” which she launched on Oprah in
1995. Her “The 100 Best TV Commercials
And Why They Worked” received praise in
the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York
Times and the Washington Post and was featured
on “Dateline” and PBS’s “Nightly
Business Report”.
According to the New York Times obituary by
Dennis Hevesi, Bernice Kanner was born
on January 21, 1949, daughter of the late Adolph
and Lillian Kanner of Manhattan. She graduated
from Harpur College of SUNY Binghamton in 1969
and received her master’s degree in literature
from there in 1972.
Kanner moved to Philadelphia right after college.
She lived there for almost 10 years and taught
high school English. Later, she also taught English
at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New
York City..
When she died, Kanner was close to completing
her latest book, co-authored with David Verklin,
CEO of Carat Americas & Chairman of Asia
Pacific. The book, “Watch This, Listen
Up, Click Here,” will be published posthumously
and will explain to the common man how advertising
controls everything that we see and hear.
Kanner was an intellectual and collector of
information, facts, friendships, stories and
relationships.
Jeanine Moss, Co-CEO of Turning Point Solutions,
said that Kanner, a longtime friend, was her
source for book recommendations. Moss reminisced
that Kanner “really liked to have a lot
of fun.” Fun was what she had in
mind when, a few months before she died, she
shattered her wrist riding on her son Andrew’s
new motor scooter. Although Kanner insisted she
was familiar with the vehicle, after zipping
along for 400 yards, she applied the accelerator
instead of the brake and missed a curve. Ferer
also recalled a long tennis weekend the two enjoyed when
Kanner took a spin on a Harley.
Verklin described Kanner as a “really
special and interesting person…so engaging…a
raconteur who loved to talk to people. What stood
out most about her was her gregarious,
outbound nature”. Her daughter Elizabeth
(Lisy) had also been working with Verklin
to complete the new book, as Kanner’s broken
wrist made typing difficult.
The week that she died, Kanner told her husband,
David Cuming, she had already read 62 books this
year. Cuming recalled how she would read in the
car while he drove back to Manhattan from their
country house in Connecticut. Cuming said his
wife was “tenacious”, “relentless” and
a “multitasker”. “She was an “A-type” and
admired other people who were also A-types.” He
added that despite her young age, she lived longer
than most, because she lived at double-time..
She was always doing different and offbeat things
.
Myrna Blyth a former editor-in-chief for
Ladies Home Journal and longtime friend, agreed. “Bernice
usually got up before 6 am to accomplish everything
she wanted to get done.
According to Moss, “She was one of the
most lively people. She always had a gazillion
projects. If not, she was out hunting them down…everyone
always took her calls.” When the two of
them got together, said Moss, Kanner would want
to catch up as quickly as possible. She would
say, “OK, kids, work, husband, health.
I’d go. And then it would be her turn.”
Bernice Kanner’s writing was provocative,
recalls Christy Ferer, Chairman of Vidicom/Citybuzz, “Bernice
actually lived every story. While writing for
New York magazine, Ms. Kanner posed as a cab
driver, a traffic cop and a Tiffany’s temp
for the sake of her stories. In “Are you
Normal?” she revealed the public’s
curiosity with how one’s own behavior compares
to that of others. It’s ironic that she
died of a brain aneurysm because she used her
brain so much.”
In reference to “Are you Normal?” Verklin
added, “Bernice and I used to laugh about
the fact that she wrote a book about being normal,
because she was one of the least normal people.” Ferer
concurred, “Bernice was crazy, zany and
wonderful”.
Kimberly Till, President of TNS North America
(Taylor Nelson Sofres reflected,
"What stands out most about Bernice was her vitality. She had so much
energy and a tremendous intellectual curiosity. She always had twenty different
projects. She was a ton of fun and one of the most enthusiastic people. Even
her memorial service was upbeat.
Kindness was also one of Kanner’s greatest
qualities. Ferer recalls, “After
9/11, when I lost my husband, Bernice was one
of my good friends who just dug in and helped.
She was very generous of spirit as well as of
her time with her friends—a magnanimous
person.”
Moss characterized Kanner as “super
generous with the help she would give you.” If you
had a problem to be solved, she would
have you role-play to figure out a solution.
She would say, “I’ll be this so-and-so
and you be you.”
Cuming said that Ms. Kanner’s “friends
will really miss her inspiration and probing.
She loved to play devil’s advocate. “I
only recently learned that at one point, they
were all intimidated by her. They were afraid
that she might be critical, but in fact she was
very supportive.”
Cuming and his wife of 24 years, were
introduced by Allen Rosenshine, Chairman, BBDO
Worldwide, “Our personalities were
not at all similar…but we were very compatible.
It was the difference that created the compatibility.” However,
they both enjoyed being at their country house
in Connecticut. She enjoyed competitive tennis
and golf while he gardened.
Their two children – Lisy – a senior
at University of Chicago and Andrew – a
sophmore at Northwestern University, were very
close to their mother. Ferer asserted that there
was nothing more important to Bernice than her
family. Moss said, “Bernice absolutely
adored her kids and her husband—she
was the most amazing and marvelous collection
of contradictions: she had this incredible work
ethic and was also the most involved family person.” Kanner
was also very philanthropic, which was a source
of wonderment to those who knew how frugal she
was. She was active with the Girl Scouts of New
York and a volunteer teacher of English to elementary
school children in Chinatown and reading and
writing to adults in New York for Literacy Partners.
She loved to sing, and was a soprano with the
Dalton Alumni Chorale.
Kanner donated her liver, her kidneys, her cornea
and her heart to science. Her family also retained
her signature long hair to donate to cancer patients
who have lost theirs during chemotherapy. Cuming
warned at her service, “Someone will be
walking around with Bernice’s heart. So
be prepared.”
In addition to her husband and children, Kanner
leaves a sister,Rita Blake, who owns a NY-based
business producing high-end custom furniture
for interior designers. Blake has a daughter
in Washington DC.
She will be missed by all who knew her, and those
who only knew her feisty writing and presentations.
Moss summed it up: “Bernice always left
a big hole in the room when she exited.” |
