Don Berg Memorial Service
Calling hours are Sunday May 10th from 3:00 until 7:00 P.M. in O’Connor Brothers Funeral Home, 592 Park Avenue, Worcester. A memorial service will be held on Monday May 11th at 10:30 A.M. in Salem Covenant Church, 215 East Mountain Street, Worcester. A graveside service and tribute will precede at 8:30 A.M. in All Faiths Cemetery (New Swedish Cemetery), 7 Island Road, Worcester. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salem Covenant Church Camp Charlton Fund, 215 East Mountain Street, Worcester, 01606 or North Park University Memorial Fund, 3225 West Foster Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.
Donald H. Berg, 82 years young, formerly of Worcester, died on Thursday morning, April 30th. His wife of 55 years, Louise May (Rollins) Berg, predeceased him in June of 2008. He leaves his daughter, Jennie Lucretia and her husband John Pagano; a granddaughter, Nina Lucretia Pagano; a grandson, Michael Angelo Pagano, all of Paxton; his brother, John Berg of Maine; his sister, Natalie McNerney of Lincoln; and many nephews, nieces, cousins, and dear friends. His beloved daughter, Nancy Ann Berg, died in 1969. Most proud to be a Worcester native born and bred with Swedish heritage, he never tired of sharing stories of events from the past.
Born on November 1st, 1926 in Worcester to C. Harold and Elizabeth Marie (Selen) Berg, Donald immediately began his gregarious and never ending grassroots campaign to spread good cheer and leave no one in his path untouched. He graduated from Classical High School, worked in the family lumber business, and went on to attend Massachusetts State College at Amherst, HQ. Army Training Schools. Donald served in the Army Air Corps during WWII, 1943-1946, and attained the rank of Sergeant in the 6th Air Force, with the bulk of his deployment spent at Ancon Hill, Albrook Field in the Canal Zone, Panama. As he liked to tell the tale, “wearing nothing but my boots, holster and sunshine.” Studying on the G.I. Bill, Donald graduated in 1949 from North Park College in Chicago, Illinois, finding time between high jinks to both attend classes and actively support the sponsored club, sports and band activities on campus. He returned to Worcester to enter the lumber business with his father, and to begin his family on Vernon Hill by marrying the petite Louise May Rollins, a graduate of the Memorial School of Nursing, on February 28, 1953. He and his brother Jack represented the 3rd generation of Stone & Berg Lumber Company, Inc. (established in 1883), with Donald retiring as President in 1991.
Donald was very active in civic, social and religious activities: he served as a Director for six years on each of the following boards: Friends of North Park University (Illinois), Pilgrim Pines Covenant Church Camp (New Hampshire), Cromwell Children’s Home (Connecticut), and the East Coast Conference of the Covenant Church. As a member of Salem Square Covenant Church since 1939, (and later the Salem Covenant Church) he served as Deacon, Steward, Sunday School Teacher and member of the Te Deum Male Chorus. He was Chairman on the committee which brought four Billy Graham movies into Worcester theaters for the viewing public in the 1970’s. Donald was a member of the Worcester Host Lions Club, as well as the Worcester Chamber of Commerce, during his years in the business arena. He thoroughly enjoyed the more recent camaraderie of his friends at Southgate, and the membership he was offered in the Albanian Men’s Club of St. Mary’s Assumption Albanian Orthodox Church.
By shear force of personality and good cheer, he was a local notable and much beloved. His all encompassing humor and boisterous voice of inclusion will surely be missed by many. Donald simply loved life and found his greatest pleasure and inspiration in every possible opportunity.
Dear Berg Family and Salem Family:
Was saddened to learn of the death of Don Berg, a man who will forever be known to us as “funny guy” (the name given to him by young John Henry Schmalzbauer, who enjoyed Don’s trick handshakes).
Blessings to you all,
John Schmalzbauer
Dear Berg Family:
Just discovered this site and wish I had known of it sooner. My dad was Pastor F. A. Ericson, serving the Salem Square church from 1930 to 1946. Don was 2 years older than I so I was too much of a kid to hang out with him. I remember one Sunday when he drove his shiny Black model A roadster with the yellow wheels up to the front of the church. “Gertrude ” was the hit of the day, and people don’t rember a word of what dad preached that day, I’m sure. We all wanted a ride in the rumble seat. My good friends were Ben Johnson, Al Bjorn (and Jam of course, who was in charge of Junior League. The best programs we had each month and the best attended, were when he showed “Our Gang” movies ) Roger Thorne, Dave Peterson, Bob Reschke, Dwight Goodale, Frannie Foss and of course Barbara Johnson and Nancy Peterson.
For better or worse, I became Don’s roomate at North Park and we made quite a team. Fun was the name of the game and studying came second. Somehow, the faculty got to know us by our first names.
He was a great buddy and loyal friend, never to be forgotten. When I saw Dwight’s address on the envelope, I tossed it in the waste basket, without opening it. I knew what he was going to tell me. 1/2 hour later I opened it, to learn of Don’s death. That was one of the darkest days of my life.
May god bless his memory to everyone he came to know. Whenever we think of him, a smile will break out and we will remember ONE GREAT GUY,and yes, a tear will surely follow !!!!!
See ya later, old friend