Arthur Lieberman

Art Lieberman, 81, of New Berlin passed away Tuesday morning at Evangelical Hospital.

Born on August 17, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York, to Jean and Lawrence Lieberman, he lived and worked for much of his life in the city, before moving to New Berlin in 2000 and founding MCPS of Central Pennsylvania.

He was an instructor for, the world-renowned Dale Carnegie courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills.

He was honored by the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce and was recognized in 2020 by Who’s Who among top executives.

Prior to coming to New Berlin, he had a very successful career as a piano entertainer. Art served in the military and won the All-Army Entertainment Contest, after leaving the military, he appeared on TV’s Ed Sullivan Show, he was widely sought-after, singing and playing the piano for nearly 50 years in the best night clubs coast to coast and the Bahamas. He entertained for 14 straight months at New York’s famous Copacabana, also at Fritzel’s Chicago, at the Hacienda in Las Vegas, at the Mark IV in San Francisco, and dozens of others. He played the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Canada, the Mexico City Olympics, the New York World’s Fair.

At 17-years-old he became friends with the comic genius Ernie Kovacs and his wife, the movie star Edie Adams. During his career he got to know stars like Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Junior, Jerry Vale, Tony Bennett, and many others. He played the recorded sound of the soap bubbles at the beginning of the superstar Bobby Darin’s first big hit, Splish Splash I Was Taking a Bath. He had a summer romance with Goldie Hawn before she became a star on NBC-TV’s Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. He dated the beautifully blue-eyed Academy Award winner Lee Remick. Debbie Reynolds wanted him for a night club act she was putting together.

He created huge annual trade shows for the video industry. More than 3,300 video store owners crowded into his exposition at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City.

After he came to Pennsylvania, he loved entertaining so much that he sang and played at local clubs like the Peppermint Lounge and the Front Street Station, using the stage name Arty Lee. At one of those performances, he met and later married Margaret Marie Smith of New Berlin, who survives him, along with stepdaughter Kim Kazakavage.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a stepson Chris Black.

Funeral services will be private.

Funeral arrangements are by Roupp Funeral Home, Inc., 8594 Old Turnpike Rd., Mifflinburg.

Leave your condolences online at www.rouppfuneralhome.com.