Arlene M. Bergman

​​Arlene M. Bergman, 71, of Santa Barbara, California, formerly of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on July 28, 2016, at Duke Medical Center, after a brief and sudden illness.

​​Arlene was born February 5, 1945, in Chapel Hill and was the daughter of the late Harry and Sybil Macklin, former owners and operators of Harry’s Restaurant and Delicatessen, a Chapel Hill landmark and favorite of many Carolina students from 1939 to 1972.

​​Arlene was a 1963 graduate of Chapel Hill High School, attended the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and a graduate of the UNC Young Executives Institute. As a teenager, she met the love of her life, Barrie Bergman, son of Harry and Bertha Bergman, founders of the original Record Bar, a retail record store. A true Elvis fan, Arlene always acknowledged that during their courtship, Barrie “won my heart forever” when he gave her a copy of the hit album “G. I. Blues”.

​​In August 1963, Arlene and Barrie were married and managed the second Record Bar store located on Henderson Street in Chapel Hill. Together they, with other family and team members, built the Record Bar into one of the largest national retail record store chains; and when sold, the company owned and operated over 300 retail outlets throughout the country. Thereafter, Arlene and Barrie teamed together and acquired an interest in Bare Escentuals, a then struggling company. Under their innovative leadership, Bare Escentuals became a major beauty product retailer. Arlene was Barrie’s partner in every aspect of life.

​​Aside from her business interests, Arlene was active in community affairs. She served as a Board Member of the N.C. Child Advocacy Institute, a Board Member of Arts & Lectures at University of California Santa Barbara and a Board member of the Child Abuse Listening Mediation in Santa Barbara.

​​Arlene was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She is survived by her husband, Barrie, of 52 years; two daughters, Janis Bergman Tillman and husband, Jeff, of Chapel Hill, and Kimberly Bergman Kuepferle and husband, Steve, of Hillsborough; two grandchildren, Jacob and Julia Tillman. Arlene was predeceased by her brother, Ralph Macklin, and sister, Rosalie Macklin, and is also survived by her sister-in-law, Lane Bergman Golden, of Chapel Hill.

​​A memorial service will be held Sunday, July 31, 2016, 10:00 a.m., at the Beth El Synagogue, 1004 Watts Street, Durham NC, followed by a graveside service and burial in the Durham Hebrew Cemetery, adjacent to Maplewood Cemetery.

​​Memorials are suggested to Child Abuse Listening Mediation (C.A.L.M.), 1236 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, calm4kits.org.; or Arts & Lectures, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA 93106, artsandlectures.sa.uscb.edu.​
00027312.DOCX