Dr. Berta Isabel Arias

Dr. Berta Isabel Arias, 75, passed peacefully from this life on February 17, 2024 surrounded by family. A resident of Amelia Island since 2013, Berta was a conservationist, philanthropist, and local writer. She served as a Board member of the Amelia Tree Conservancy and Trustee of the Amelia Island Museum of History. The recently published book that Berta co-edited, Life on American Beach: Voices from Within, features her essay about what attracted this Cuban-born, Chicago-raised woman to purchase property on American Beach to build a home to share with her children and grandchildren. Berta authored Mango Rain, a novel which is available in English and Spanish, and she served as the translator for Cápsulas Informativas Constitucionales, a reference book for Spanish language readers about the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independence.

A professor emeritus of languages, Berta spent some of her free time in recent years teaching Spanish language classes on Amelia Island. She spoke English, Spanish, and French fluently and was proficient in Portuguese, Italian, and Chinese. Ever-curious, Berta loved learning and traveling. She enjoyed exploring new places, trying new foods, dancing, and listening to music. People were drawn to Berta’s positivity, high energy, and her knowledge of so many topics. Generous in every way, Berta loved to share her gifts with others.

Berta was very proud of her family. As written in her latest book, Berta’s children and grandchildren were her heart, and she lived in gratitude for the joy they brought to her life. Berta was also thankful for her wonderful life, family and friends. She leaves behind two daughters, five grandchildren, a sister, brother, nieces, and nephews.

A celebration of her life will be planned for later this year in Chicago.