Patricia O Berger

Patricia Orpin Berger was born in Cleveland on January 24, 1932. Known lovingly as “Pat” or “Trish”, she was the only child of Emily (nee Reiner) and John W. Orpin. Pat lived in Garfield Heights, OH where she attended schools through graduation in June, 1949, before attending and graduating from Valparaiso University in Indiana in June 1953 with a BS in elementary education. She met her future husband, Clyde L. Berger from Milwaukee, during her freshman year at their beloved “Valpo”. They married on July 18, 1953 and celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this past summer.

In May, 1954, Pat and Clyde had a daughter, Karen, who sadly passed away in 1961, while they were living in Cincinnati. Their son, Bruce, was born in 1957, their daughter, Heidi, in 1962, and another son, Bryan, in 1963.

They lived in several places during their marriage, including Cincinnati and Wheaton, Illinois (where they raised their family). They enjoyed 29 summers in Egg Harbor, WI, and moved to Ft. Myers, FL in 1999.

Pat was a long-term substitute teacher as she preferred being a stay-at-home mom. She devoted much of her life in service to others and held many volunteer positions in her churches and schools and served on the Alumni Board at Valpo.

She is deeply mourned by her husband, Clyde, her children Bruce (Bradley), Heidi (Edward) and Bryan (Kelly), and her grandchildren John, Carsten, Matthew, Sophie (Frank), Julia, Isabella and Anna.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 11:30 at Zion Lutheran Church in Ft. Myers, FL.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made in loving memory of Patricia Berger to Valparaiso University, her beloved alma mater, or to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Door County, WI. Gifts can be made to the Valparaiso University Guild online at give.valpo.edu, or checks may be sent to:

Valparaiso University

Attn: Advancement

Valparaiso, IN 46383

Memo: to the Guild In Memory of Patricia Berger

Online donations can be sent to St. Paul Lutheran Church

Or checks may be sent to:

St. Paul Lutheran Church

4167 Juddville Rd. Fish Creek, WI 54212

Memo: in Memory of Patricia Berger