Amherst, MA – Richard "Luke" Berman, age 78, passed away peacefully at home on June 25. Luke was born on February 5, 1948, in Brooklyn, NY, to Sydelle and Morton Berman. While in elementary school he learned to play guitar and his attendance at Pete Seeger concerts instilled in him the dream of becoming a singer-songwriter. He loved sports-especially baseball and the Brooklyn Dodgers-and later in his life he was a passionate follower of the University of Michigan's sports teams. Luke attended Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn and went on to the University of Michigan for a BA in history. There he met his wife of 52 years, Buffy Aries. They moved to Amherst in 1975. Luke pursued master's degrees in social work and education-working as a social worker at the Worcester Youth Guidance Center and as an elementary school teacher at Wildwood-before devoting himself to a career as a singer-songwriter.
He loved to know people and to hear their stories, and these became the basis for many of his carefully crafted songs exploring different aspects of personal relationships across the life stages. Luke produced seven CDs of original music, and all his songs can be listened to for free at richardberman.com. In his later years, he volunteered for Amherst Neighbors and provided rides through the Senior Center. He loved traveling while he was able and delighted in spending time with his two children and four grandchildren.
Luke is survived by his wife, Buffy Aries; his children, Joshua and Anna Berman and their spouses; his grandchildren David and Will Berman, Owen and Lara Clark; his sisters, Diane and Judi Berman, as well as sisters-in law and brothers-in law and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
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