Practiced podiatry for 38 years

Despite his small stature, his family likened Dr. Morton Bershad to a kind “giant”, who tended to his family and patients with equal compassion. The 57-year Cedarhurst resident, died on May 15. He was 93.

Bershad was born in Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn Poly Prep High School. He went on to receive his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree and opened his own practice at 97 Cedarhurst Ave. in Cedarhurst, which Bershad operated for 38 years before he retired in 1992.

He was a member of the NYS Podiatric Medical Association as well as Temple Beth El in Cedarhurst. “He liked to play tennis and golf but his number one passion was to develop products for his own family use,” said his son Mark. “He could fix anything.”

Mark described his father as a gentle “giant.” “He was giant in quotation marks given the fact that one of his discharge papers from the Army listed him as 5 feet 3 and he eventually went down to 4 foot 8,” Mark said. “He was gentle-hearted and always had a smile on his face.”

Services were held on May 19 graveside at New Montefiore Cemetery in Queens.

Bershad is survived by his daughter Lynne, son Mark, daughter-in-laws Debi and Eileen, as well as grandchildren Michelle, Sammi, Tyler and Halle. His wife, Ethel, and son Jeffrey predeceased him.

The family would like to thank Ena Brahm, Bershad’s aide. Also, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the JCC of the Greater Five Towns, 207 Grove Ave., Cedarhurst, NY, 11516.