Obituary of Bernard Goldstein

GOLDSTEIN--Bernard. I lost my soulmate. He was my best friend, my love. Bernie Goldstein was the epitome of a gentleman - honest, trustworthy, dependable, and a wonderful life partner. He provided a life that only exists in fairytales and magical kingdoms. Bernie was a brilliant man, with a deep understanding of propriety and decency. His personal relationships with every person were conducted on an even playing field, and he provided transformative counsel to all who entered his life. Bernie's sense of humor was present until the very end and permeated the last bits of conversation he had. Bernie also excelled in his professional life as a pioneer in the software industry. He graduated from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1953 and went on to earn an MBA from Columbia University. He served in the Navy for three years during the Korean War. In the early days of the computer industry, Bernie was one of the few who recognized the potential for information technology beyond payroll analysis. His entrepreneurial spirit charted a course for many contributions to the field. In 1958, along with two friends in engineering and $5,000 in hand, he co-founded his first tech company, Computech, what was then called a "service bureau." Bernie went on to co-found United Data Centers which was sold to Tymshare. He was also Chairman of National CSS. He was also a founding member and President of ADAPSO, the Association of Data Processing Service Organizations, which later became the Information Technology Association of America. He was the champion of the growing 'software industry' and a big part of its growth in its formative years. Bernie finished his career as Managing Director of Broadview International, LLC, at the time the leading mergers and acquisitions firm in the software industry. During this time, he co-authored the McGraw-Hill published "Information Technology: The Trillion-dollar Opportunity," in which he predicted the growth of software and the Internet way before its time. At the time, the book was considered science fiction by many but has all proven to be very true. Throughout his life, Bernie served on the boards of numerous hardware and software companies, including Apple Computer, SPSS Inc., and Giga Information Group and many others. He was also involved in organizations from communities near to his heart, sitting on the Board of Rye Country Day School, the Board of Rye Playland, and the Board of Overseers of the University of Pennsylvania, where he endowed the Patricia and Bernard Goldstein Information Processing Center and the Goldstein Electronic Classroom. Bernie is survived by myself and our beloved children Mark (Kristen), Bruce (Vicki), and Nancy Rebold (Matthew), grandchildren Liza, Tess, Ari, Melina, Jack, Athena, and Rex, and many close and dear friends. Patricia Goldstein