- Date Of Birth: January 14, 1920
- Date Of Death: August 3, 2014
- State: Indiana
Jack Berges passed to eternal life at the age of 94 with his wife of 71 years by his side in his home. Born in Ansonia, CT in January of 1920 to Emil and Lillian Wehrle Berges, he had tales to tell of the depression, hand cranked windshield wipers and emptying the coal bin.
He worked as a golf caddy as a youth and learned a sport that he enjoyed with family and friends nearly all his life.
Jack attended MIT where he was in ROTC, played on the golf team, and graduated in 1940 as a mechanical engineer. He worked as an engineer for Babcock and Wilcox of Beaver Falls, PA and Worthington Pump and Machinery in Holyoke, MA. In 1942 he joined the war effort as a second lieutenant in the U.S.Army ordinance department.
Margaret Golden became his lifelong bride on December 26, 1942 in New Haven, CT before he shipped out to North Africa. He finished his service at Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia after recovering from malaria and retired from the army in 1946 with the rank of Captain. Jack was awarded Honorary Member of the British Empire for his assistance to the British Army while overseas.
In 1950, Jack began a 35 year career in management with the General Electric Company. His promotions took the family to Fort Wayne, IN; Caldwell, NJ; Brockport, NY; Louisville, KY and Sterling, IL. His last position was as General Manager of Appliance Control Manufacturing in Morrison, IL, Carroll, IA, and Singapore.
Jack and Margaret retired in 2002 to Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, where they continued to golf and enjoy all the benefits of an academic community.
No matter the community he was in, Jack always shared his talents and resources with all that he could, serving on many school boards and parish committees. He continued in retirement as a board member at Holy Cross College. A lifelong proponent of ethics in business, his children endowed The John A Berges Business Ethics Lecture Series at Notre Dame University in his honor .
Jack is survived by his wife Margaret; sister-in-law Frances Krenisky of New Haven CT; nephews John and Peter Krenisky; children John (Claudia) of Rolla, MO; James (Cathy) of St Louis, MO; David (Debra) of Stamford CT; Michael (Ina) of Baltimore, MD; Anne (Ravi) Pillai of South Bend, IN; Patricia (Jack) Karnick of Winona, MN; 21 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by infant son, Joseph, and great granddaughter Stephanie Berges. His one brother Emil Berges preceded him in death by one week.
As Jack told his children many times over the years, “It’s been a great run, it’s been a great 18 holes.”
