Neal Alan Berger

Neal Berger passed away after a valiant struggle with cancer. He was a storyteller, animal lover, athlete, lover of music and social justice activist … it was a life well lived.

Neal was born on August 1, 1946 in Omaha, Nebraska where he lived with his father, Howard Berger, mother Genevieve Sullivan, sister Jean and brother Larry. He was a typical 1950’s boy with wild adventures. His love of exploring and the water started at nine years old when he built a raft and set sail on the Missouri river only to be rescued twenty miles down stream. He and Pete, the first of many dog companions, were always out and about exploring the wonders of nature.

Even so, Neal’s life was not always an easy one. His father’s early death and his mother’s poor health taught him to fend for himself, often with very creative solutions. He had an unending curiosity for knowledge and was a voracious reader of non-fiction. He was an outstanding athlete and catching the eye of a major league ball team.

Neal’s personal struggles with addiction landed him in treatment in the early 1970s. This turning point set him on an education and career path that would eventually touch countless lives throughout North America. Neal earned a Master of Science from University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Master Addiction Counseling from Hazelden, Master Alcohol Counselor from NAADAC, Sr. Professional Alcoholism Counselor from the State of Nebraska, plus many more distinctions and awards.

In his working life, Neal was a leading expert in addiction. After moving to Canada, he was instrumental in opening Edgewood Treatment Centre and was the first Executive Director of Cedars at Cobble Hill, a world-renowned addiction treatment centre. Right up to his death, he consulted widely throughout North America and was one of the first to sound the alarm bell warning of the pending opioid crisis. If that wasn’t enough, Neal wrote and produced several films on alcoholism and addiction, including “Deadly Silence”, an internationally acclaimed and award winning film on the systemic intervention process developed for workplaces and organizations. He published numerous articles and presented over 100 keynote addresses in North America and Europe.

Whenever time permitted you would find Neal on the water. His home in Nanoose Bay allowed him to be only minutes from his boat. He joined the Schooner Cove Yacht Club in the early 1980s and was an active supporter and participant in the club’s racing programs and regattas up to and including this year’s Bay Race in May. Neal was an all weather sailor. He developed his sailing and racing skills on Lakes Michigan and Superior and generously shared those skills and experience with club members, and always found room on his crew for novices interested in learning how to race. Many will remember Neal’s boat, Shingebiss, a flag blue J-36, which was a major competitor in many regattas around the Vancouver Island circuit, including SCYC’s “Race around the Rocks” and Lasqueti Regattas. More recently, Neal owned Ice Bear, a Beneteau First 42.7 which allowed him to not only race fast, but also cruise in comfort.

Neal leaves behind his longtime partner in life, Heather Hale. When Neal fell for Heather, he was blessed with a ready made family and quickly bonded with her children, Alannah (Brad) and Griffin (Lisa). Along with his sister Jean Welch in Omaha are her children Mike (Elaine), Christine (Kent), Jeff (Renee), Katherine (Doug); in Boston are his nieces Blythe and Jean, great nephew Adam and great niece Mia. He will be missed.

A service to remember Neal will be held at the Coast Bastion Hotel in Nanaimo, BC on November 6 at 2:00 pm.