Malcolm Cecil Berman, a local real estate developer, former chairman of Fairfax Savings & Loan, and noted major community philanthropist, passed away on Sunday, Sept. 7.
A Northwest Baltimore native and Beth El congregant who lived in Delray Beach, Florida, he was 89.
Berman was a graduate of Baltimore City College and the Baltimore College of Commerce, which became part of the University of Baltimore.
“Born into humble beginnings, he started his career delivering newspapers before building a business empire that spanned magazines, nursing homes, banking, and real estate,” his family wrote on the website of Sol Levinson & Bros. funeral home. “A true innovator, he participated in introducing the concept of timesharing to the United States.
“In addition to his immense success, he remained devoted to his family, especially his wife of over 68 years, Sandra. The couple’s annual family cruise, a tradition for more than three decades, was a testament to his love for family and travel. He was an avid boater, frequently navigating his boat from Florida to Maine. A caring and attentive grandfather, he was known for always showing great interest in each of his grandchildren’s lives.
“His generosity and commitment to communities throughout the country will be forever appreciated, and his love for Israel will be forever memorialized by his continuing support for Israel Bonds.”
Among the many medical and educational institutions that benefitted from the philanthropy of Berman and his family are Sinai Hospital, the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, LifeBridge Health, Jemicy School, Maryland Opera, Towson University, Beth El Congregation, the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton and the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County.
At Owings Mills’ Stevenson University, the 38,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Sandra and Malcolm Berman Family Performing Arts Center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.
In March of 2024, Towson University dedicated the Sandra R. Berman Center for Humanity, Tolerance and Holocaust Education.
In addition, the Bermans were founders of the Sandra & Malcolm Berman Charitable Foundation.
In 2015, Malcolm and Sandra Berman were named “Philanthropists of the Year” by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Maryland chapter. Earlier this year, the Bermans were inducted into the Baltimore Sun Hall of Fame for their philanthropic endeavors.
In a 2024 Jmore profile, Sandra Berman said of the number of local institutional buildings bearing the name of her and her husband, “It’s a great legacy for me, my family and my great-grandchildren. It makes me proud to help others.”
At the dedication of the Sandra R. Berman Pavilion for cancer care at GBMC last December, Gov. Wes Moore said, “I’m just so deeply humbled that we have a family that … are coming from not just beautiful hearts but also a beautiful obligation to continue to give and serve. … The philanthropy we know is not just about health. It is higher education, it is Holocaust education and making sure that Maryland is going to be a state where hate will find no oxygen.”
Besides his wife, Malcolm Berman is survived by his children, Steven (Heidi) Berman, Gary (Marilyn) Berman, and Richard (Jennifer) Berman; his grandchildren, Jason Berman, Erin Berman Welsh (James Welsh), Michael (Alison) Berman, David (Rachel) Berman, Brian (Brooke) Berman, Matthew (Laney) Berman, Robert (Amanda) Berman, Emily Berman Socolow (Kevin Socolow), Benjamin Berman, and Ava Berman; and his great-grandchildren, Max Welsh, Samuel Welsh, and Leo, Ella, Mason, Nathan, Lucy, Camila, Charlie, Isabella, Naomi, Molly, Anthony, Nomi, and Piper Berman.
He was predeceased by his sister, Selma Berman, and his parents, Bessie and Benjamin Berman.
Funeral services for Malcolm Berman were held on Tuesday morning, Sept. 9, at Beth El Congregation, 8101 Park Heights Avenue in Pikesville. Interment at Baltimore Hebrew Cemetery, 318 Berrymans Lane in Reisterstown.
Contributions in Berman’s memory may be made to GBMC’s Sandra & Malcolm Berman Cancer Institute, The Sandra R. Berman Heart Institute at UM St. Joseph, the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain and Spine Institute-Lifebridge Health, Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurology, the Berman-Lipavsky Religious School at Beth El Congregation, or Stevenson University, the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Family Performing Arts Center.
“The generosity and philanthropy that Malcolm and Sandy have shown is known far and wide in our Maryland community,” posted Stevenson University. “Here at Stevenson, their generosity has been nothing short of transformative for our campus … Malcolm had an amazing life, and his legacy is one of extraordinary giving that has and will continue to uplift lives.”
“Through his philanthropy, an entire community has benefitted and thrived,” wrote local realtor and developer Alan Klatsky, a longtime friend, protege and business associate of Berman, on the website of Sol Levinson & Bros. “I would also add that lives have been saved through the partnership the Bermans have had with several medical institutions. Malcolm Berman will live on in our minds and hearts forever.”
Said Malcolm Berman’s son, Gary Berman: “Strangers have approached me and thanked me for my parents saving their lives as a result of the contributions and philanthropy they made to medical institutions in Florida and Maryland. I couldn’t be any more proud of my father for helping people he never met.”
Posted the Jemicy School: “The lives of generations of bright, talented, and creative children who learn differently will be forever changed because of Malcolm’s generous support of the school and its mission. We are forever grateful and pray that wonderful memories of Malcolm’s life will help to sustain the family at this very difficult time of sorrow.”
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