Berney Goodman, M.D.

Berney Goodman, M.D., adoring husband of Irene (née Kanfer) and loving father of Lawrence, Lowell and Alexis (Sandler), passed away on June 6 after a long illness. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, he finished medical school at the University of the Witswatersrand. He came to the United States in 1960, seeking freedom from what he saw was an oppressive and unjust society in apartheid South Africa. He took his oath of citizenship in this country a decade later. He practiced psychiatry for over 50 years, and for most of his career he was affiliated with The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. There he was a unit chief and devoted teacher of his residents. He was the author of the book, When the Body Speaks Its Mind. He was an avid oenophile, with a fine pallet and a prized cellar. He loved the opera and the superb cooking of his wife, to whom he was married for over 56 years. He was known for his keen intellect, which was matched by his generosity of spirit. He loved life. He is survived by his loving wife, children, six grandchildren: Isaac, Caleb, Sydney, Samuel, Michael and Jack; daughters-in-law Kate Miller and Sharmon Goodman, son-in-law Vladik Sandler, and sisters Hylda Skutelsky and Laura Sher.