January 19th after a long battle with dementia.
Wes was born October 14, 1946, to the late Patricia (née Kelly) and George W. Berkheimer of
Gary, Indiana, the oldest of their five children.
After graduating from Andrean High School in 1964, Wes attended the University of Dayton,
graduating with a degree in History. It was there that he met the love of his life, Jill, in a junior
year Political Science class. They married in 1968 and welcomed two daughters, Kristen and
Kelly.
Wes had an enduring work ethic and was committed to his career as an insurance adjuster at
Great American Insurance Group in Cincinnati for over 25 years. He cared deeply about the
people and families that he helped as they worked together to recover their homes and
property after storm damage.
In his spare time, Wes was a lifelong and dedicated fan of the Chicago Bears, a devotion he
passed on to his wife and children. Sunday afternoon naps during football season were not
assured, as Wes full-throatedly supported (or groaned in frustration at) his beloved Bears. Wes
was also an avid golfer who often played at Weatherwax Golf Course, especially with his good
friends, Ken, Dale, and Chris. He loved to laugh (the more colorful the joke, the better), and he
especially loved to dance. At every family wedding, you were sure to find Wes on the dance
floor, getting down to “Shout” and belting out his favorite, “It’s Raining Men.”
Wes is survived by his wife of 53 years, Jill (née Behringer), daughters Kristen (Daniel) Pessell
of Cincinnati and Kelly (Adam) Nirenberg of Oak Park, IL, and grandchildren Christopher and
Sofie. He is also survived by his siblings, Melinda McKinney of Phoenix, AZ, James (Linda)
Berkheimer of Santa Ana, CA, Bruce (Maureen) Berkheimer of Tinley Park, IL, and Theresa
Berkheimer of Simi Valley, CA. He is also survived by a number of beloved cousins and close
friends.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 25 from 4pm to 7pm at Tobias Funeral Home, 5471
Far Hills Ave. in Dayton, Ohio. Funeral services will also be held at Tobias on Wednesday,
January 26 at 1pm and followed by entombment in the Community Mausoleum at David’s
Cemetery, 4600 Mad River Road in Kettering, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Wes’s name to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or
Hospice of Cincinnati.
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