Andrew Bergstein

June 28, 1952-August 15, 2023

Andrew Bergstein, 71, passed away peacefully in his hometown of State College, PA on August 15, 2023 after a long illness. He was born in Bellefonte, PA on June 28, 1952. He was the son of the late Milton and Elizabeth Bergstein of State College.

Andrew is survived by his son, Ethan Kasales, and his former wife, Barbara Kasales, both of Lemont, PA; his brother, Michael Bergstein, and his wife, Patrizia Villani, of Milan, Italy; several cousins in different states; two lifelong friends from Camp Powhatan in Maine, Buddy Altus and Andrew Shoyer, and his beloved pug, Pirate. He was preceded in death by his sister, Nan Bergstein.

Andrew received his Bachelor of Science in community development from Penn State University in June 1974. He received his Master of Arts in marketing communications from the University of Maryland in 1982. He took additional graduate courses at American University and Georgetown University.

Upon graduation from Penn State, Andrew lived in Washington, D.C., for 12 years, where he worked for NBC TV and Radio and was the marketing communications director of Fannie Mae. He also served as the marketing director of Altec Lansing in Milford, PA.

Andrew later returned to State College, where he was a marketing consultant for several small businesses. Andrew began working at Penn State in 1996 as an instructor of marketing in the Smeal College of Business, where he taught introductory marketing, global marketing, public relations, and marketing communications courses. He retired from the university in 2012.

Andrew received multiple awards for his teaching and advising, including the 1998 Fred Brand, Jr. Award as the outstanding undergraduate teacher in the Smeal College of Business. He also received the Brand Award in 2002 as the department's outstanding undergraduate advisor. For nine years, he also served as a volunteer trade policy advisor to the United States Department of Commerce. In addition to his teaching and advising, he frequently spoke to student and professional audiences regarding various marketing topics.

Andrew was interviewed by a number of media outlets, including CNN, the New York Times, the Times of London, the Chicago Tribune, Reuters News Service, ABC, CBS Radio, and ABCNews.com. He also had several op-ed columns appear in various Pennsylvania newspapers. Andrew taught and mentored thousands of students, many of whom were complimentary of his impact on their personal and professional lives. Andrew helped create Smeal's Center for Sports Business and Research. He invited a variety of guests from the sports industry to speak on campus.

Andrew enjoyed traveling, bicycling, watching Penn State football games with his son, and was a movie buff, calling Casablanca his favorite film of all time. He passed along his love for Bruce Springsteen's music to his family. Andrew loved watching the Tour de France and attended the race on several occasions. He and a friend climbed the famous Alpe d'Huez. He and his family spent many summer vacations at Rehoboth Beach and Stone Harbor, NJ. Andrew had a love of history and a deep appreciation for Centre County and Penn State.

The family would like to thank Andrew's close friends who visited and spoke with him toward the end of his life. Donations in Andrew's memory can be made to Centre County PAWS, 1401 Trout Rd, State College, PA 16801; the ARC of Centre County, 171 Technology Dr Suite 400, Boalsburg, PA 16827 and Special Olympics PA, 2570 Boulevard of the Generals #124, Norristown, PA 19403. The family will announce memorial service details at a later date.

Condolences can be made at www.stevensfamilyfuneralhomes.com or Stevens Family Funeral Homes Facebook.