Roy A. Berg Jr.

He was born January 2, 1934, (1234) in Willmar, Minnesota to Roy Berg and Alvina Knott Berg. He grew up on a farm outside Willmar and went to a small rural one room grade school with an average enrollment of 13, where he was the only one in each of his grades one through eight.

After high school in Willmar, he moved with his parents to Washington state. Roy completed a four year Machinist Apprenticeship in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and served two years in the Army during the Korean War. Upon his return from the Army he attended the University of Washington. In 1957 he married Barbara Coleman. Roy graduated from the University of Washington with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering.

In 1961 he joined The Boeing Company in their Aerospace Division.  Daughter, Brenda, was born soon after. He began his career in the Minuteman and Peacekeeper Missile Projects and the family traveled to remote sites in five states and eventually to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Vandenberg gave Roy the opportunity to stay put for a while and so he was able to support his daughter's love of horses and competing. He also was very active in the Presbyterian Church doing everything from bookkeeping, guiding the teens activities and installing sprinkler systems. He also found time to head Toastmasters at the local prison and run Bingo to raise money for the high school athletic teams.

In 1981 Roy met and married DeAnna Lees and gained two more children to love, Allison and Randy. The two families blended seamlessly. Shortly there after the new family was sent to Cheyenne, Wyoming where Roy was to work as the Boeing Base Manager at FE Warren Air Force Base. 

In his own words “my favorite assignment with Boeing was leading the workforce, based in Cheyenne, Wyoming, during the Installation and Check Out of the Peacekeeper Missiles. It was challenging and rewarding to work so closely with the Boeing personnel, the Air Force and the local Wyoming residents.” 

 After four years in Wyoming, he returned to Vandenberg AFB in1989 as Base Manager and eventually closed out his career in 1994. A grand Retirement-60th Birthday celebration was enjoyed outdoors by family, friends and work colleagues on a beautiful, sunny, warm day in Santa Maria, CA.  A January 2nd surprise!

After retiring he told DeAnna, a 'stay at home wife' at the time, that he would do half of her 'chores'. That way they would both be somewhat retired. She did not turn down that wonderful gift. He still found time to help others with remodeling projects as well as his own inventions around the house.  Another favorite pastime for the couple was motor-homing up and down the coast and the western states, often caravanning with friends, which was most enjoyable.

In 1998 they decided to move to Colorado to be near some of their grand kids.  But, only if they could winter in AZ. Roy had no desire to shovel snow again. They went to Mesa, AZ for 13 winters playing tennis, dancing the night away and making new retiree friends. This winter home also afforded Roy the opportunity to get to know his brother, Roger, better.  Roy was only 8 years old when Roger left the farm to enter the Navy, so they had a lot of catching up to do. That was easy since they lived right next door. And, of course, Roy was asked to get involved with the tennis club and ended up being President of the tennis club for two years.

Coming back to CO each summer found Roy playing tennis each Friday with  friends of many years. Often he and DeAnna would join family and friends on wonderful cruises as well.  Roy loved playing cards and taught his children and grandchildren at early ages. Even as Base Manager his door was open for a lunchtime game of cards. 

Roy lived his belief that “family“ was the most important thread of society. He loved his entire extended family and this belief and his actions will long be practiced and believed in by all who received and returned this love.

Being a kind and dependable husband, father and grandfather was of the utmost importance to Roy and he certainly did not disappoint when it came to wholeheartedly loving his family.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, DeAnna, children Brenda (Rocky), Allison (Andrew) and, Randy (Steffany), grandchildren Nicole (Daniel), Austin, Sydney (Ronald), Rocco, Regan and Drew, two sisters, Joyce and Betty, and many nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in passing by his parents, a sister, Barbara and his brother, Roger.

A Celebration of Life for Roy will be held Sunday, November 7 at 2:00 PM, at the Swan-Law Funeral Home, 50l N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO.

Inurnment with military honors will follow at a later date at Pikes Peak National Cemetery.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.swan-law.com for the Berg family.

Should you wish, please send memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, the Colorado Springs Down Syndrome Association, or a charity of your choice.