Bernie H. Goldner

Bernard (Bernie) H. Goldner, PhD, a resident of Santa Cruz, CA, died on November 16, 2016 at age 81. Bernie was the first Environmental Planner hired by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, San Jose, and played a key role in transforming the Water District into an effective, leading environmental protection agency. For many years, Bernie served on the board of directors for the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, helping the organization emerge as a potent protector for habitat and farm land. The cause was cancer, according to his partner of 14 years, Donna Blundell. Bernie was employed by the District for more than 20 years. He most notably worked to bring the District into compliance with the unfolding environmental protection laws regarding water safety and flood control/protection. Bernie was part of the team that worked on the initial phase of the Guadalupe River Flood Protection Project that eventually resulted in the Guadalupe River Park. The District's public service culture that Bernie helped originate makes the Santa Clara Valley Water District a recognized leader in local environmental sustainability. As a strong environmental advocate, Bernie and colleagues formed the Save Lighthouse Point Association that successfully worked to protect the Lighthouse Point and Lighthouse Field from being commercially developed. After epic battles, their efforts created a local ballot initiative that successfully passed, making it illegal for Santa Cruz County to own, lease, maintain, or operate a convention center on Lighthouse Point or Lighthouse Field, thus maintaining the land in its natural state. After retirement, Bernie became a member of the board of directors for the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. He was especially proud of the master plan he designed to turn Antonelli Pond into an environmental education center. He played a leading role to lay the groundwork for the Land Trust's emergence into its present mission to permanently protect threatened wildlife habitat and farm land. Bernie was respected in his professional and personal life as a kind, thoughtful, and generous person. People credited Bernie as being steadfast, both gentle and wise, a person who would listen and have something thoughtful to say. He frequently attributed this empathetic quality to his being regularly bullied and attacked in childhood. Most notably, he provided often-biting political commentary, and was a resource for wonderful Jewish humor. Bernie regularly honored and shared the Jewish culture for many years by holding Passover Seders and Hanukkah celebrations including numerous family members and friends. Bernard H. Goldner was born in The Bronx, New York, on May 21, 1935, to Samuel Goldner and Irene Pollack Goldner. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School, and Hunter College. He received BA and MA degrees in microbiology from the University of Texas Austin. At UT Austin, he met and married his first wife, Fay Silverstein, and together they moved to Los Angeles, where their daughter Alicia was born in 1963. They later divorced. While in LA, Bernie married his second wife, Jane Claire Ellison, whom he later divorced. During his time in Los Angeles, Bernie worked for the Veterans Administration, and then for TRW. He earned a PhD in Environmental Sciences at UCLA. In the 1970s, Bernie visited Northern California, fell in love with Santa Cruz, and lived there for the rest of this life. In Santa Cruz, Bernie met and married his third wife, Adrienne Pelker Abrams. Bernie is survived by his loving partner Donna Blundell; his first wife Julie Fay Goldner Furhman and their daughter Alicia Goldner Sichan, and her son Evan Bernard Sichan; and his second wife Jane Claire Ellison. His third wife, Adrienne Pelker Abrams, predeceased him in 2000. He was step-father to Adrienne's children — Carollyn, David, Daniel, and Naomi Lobell, as well as Naomi's children Nathan and Shoshana Carver. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, or The Hospice of Santa Cruz County. A Celebration of Life is planned for Bernie. For further information, please call Donna Blundell, 831-438-1874.