Obituary for David George Berbert
David George Berbert passed away peacefully at age 97 of natural causes on Saturday, March 11, 2023. David was born at home - one his father built - on January 21, 1926, in Fort Worth, Texas. He was the second son and child (of 4 sons and 1 daughter) of Henry Berbert of San Francisco, a career officer in the Army Corps of Engineers, and Jean Jarvis of Provo, Utah. Six months after David’s birth, the family transferred to Fort Humphreys, Virginia (now Fort Belvoir) and then to Panama in 1931 where David quickly developed a penchant for building, as evidenced by constructing a small one room hut, several ‘airplane’ swings for a large tree in their yard, and apartment and tunnel mazes for the many kittens his older brother raised and cared for. Panama was especially memorable to David for the ship locks, its heavy rains, its houses built on stilts, and for its bananas, mangoes, guava, papaya, cashew nuts, and “alligator pears” (as they called the avocados), which they gathered from trees in the yard and nearby. David loved, too, the interesting and diverse wildlife, from sloths and pelicans to rainbow-colored beetles and purple-blue Royal Monarch butterflies.
From Panama, the family moved in succession to Rock Island, Illinois; Ft. DuPont, Delaware; Denver, Colorado, and Columbia, Missouri, where David matured and no longer accompanied the family on their later moves to Schenectady, New York; Japan; and San Francisco, California, finally retiring in Watsonville, California. Later career moves of his own led David to experience many locales, but wherever those moves took him, he consistently planted trees, gardened, and served others. He also enjoyed a little woodworking and simply loved to help living things - and people - to grow.
The Gospel first came to David’s attention while living in the state of Delaware. On visits to his maternal grandmother in Washington, DC, he attended church with her whenever possible. In Denver, he attended rather regularly and was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 15. Within a few months, the family moved to Missouri, where David became involved in the local Branch as a Sunday School teacher. The branch met in a University building, then an Odd Fellows upstairs hall, then the Branch President’s (Sylvan Wittwer) basement, then Brother Piatt’s renovated garage, and finally in their own building. After graduating from Hickman High (home of the Kewpies!) in 1943, David attended the University of Missouri, then spent two years in the Army in World War II. He recalled that his testimony grew rapidly in Columbia and greatly increased during those two years of wartime service. Upon returning home in 1946, he was called on a mission to Southern California for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He gladly accepted and felt blessed to learn from Dean Vest the meaning of charity, the pure love of Christ.
Of most note to David and in answer to his prayers over the prior two years, just before leaving on his mission, he met the love of his life - Geraldine McKeel - and asked her to wait for him as he went on his mission. She did wait faithfully, despite other pursuers, and David and Geri reunited at the university in Columbia, Missouri. They chose to be married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on April 15, 1949, during a short Spring break. To travel there from Columbia, they took a bus, train, and airplane to Kansas City, Denver, and Salt Lake City, respectively (and were grateful to be granted an extra Spring Break day without penalty), returning home the exact same way.
David and Geri welcomed their son Alan David into the world on March 17, 1950, in Columbia, Missouri. Then, after receiving Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education, David accepted a teaching position at South High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here they added their daughter Cathy Christine on December 1, 1952, and pursued studies at the University of Utah. In June of 1953, opportunity knocked, and David and Geri loaded into their first automobile - a $275 Oldsmobile “Torpedo” - and set off for California and a teaching position at Santa Maria Union High School, where their third child, Jonathan Richard, was born on October 8, 1954.
David went on to teach in Ventura, California at both Ventura and Buena high schools and at Ventura Junior College, while teaching early morning Seminary classes for 4 years. Kenneth George was born on Geri’s birthday in 1960 in Ventura. Then in 1965, David took a sabbatical leave, and the growing family moved to Los Angeles for the school year to work toward a doctoral degree in earnest. There they had their fifth and final child, Todd Christopher, on October 12, 1965. David received his Doctorate in Education from UCLA in December of 1967, after having returned to Ventura. With his new credentials in hand, David worked over the next several years in both California and Missouri, where he served in the Kansas City area for 10 years as Dean of Students at Maple Woods Community College from its founding. He also served faithfully in many church callings, including as Bishop in the Kansas City North Ward.
After returning to California for a teaching stint at Tamalpais High School near San Francisco from 1982 through 1986, David and Geri moved ‘home’ to Geri’s birthplace to be close to her parents and 3 of her 8 siblings in Springfield, Missouri. Before finally retiring, David worked as a highly-prized substitute teacher in Springfield high schools and as an instructor at Drury College, helping Science and Math teachers learn new teaching skills.
David claimed that - blessed with his soulmate by his side - his greatest accomplishment was raising 5 children of their own, but together they impacted many lives beyond their own family’s. Even in retirement, David and Geri embarked on perhaps their most joyful adventure together ever - as church missionaries in the Tacloban, Philippines area. There, they shared the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with many, helped several children and youth to obtain needed medical care, and served others compassionately when severe challenges came along, such as when a terrible flash flood in 1991 struck Ormoc, the city in which they were living. It took the lives of thousands, including 22 members of their branch. Though grieving themselves, they were deeply involved in helping and comforting the impacted victims and survivors.
Around 2000 - the beginning of a new millennium - a new challenge came as dementia slowly crept up on Geri. David patiently and tenderly provided 24/7 care to his sweetheart for the next several years while also surviving a severe cancer scare of his own. In the final years of his life, after Geri’s ‘graduation’ from this life in 2008, David endured the effects of dementia himself, but he could still sing beautifully and remembered practically every hymn and song from his younger days. Best of all, he retained his dignity, kindness, sense of humor, and the accompanying twinkle in his eyes. In his Independent Living facility in Kansas City, Missouri, he persevered through the long, lonely months of COVID pandemic protocols that confined him to his apartment, before moving to Memory Care in Draper, Utah for the last two years of his exemplary life. During these later years, he was lovingly looked after by his family and friends and by the kind caregivers at Ashford Memory Care and Inspiration Hospice in Draper, Utah.
David is survived by his children Cathy Runyan-Svacina (Larry), Kenneth Berbert (Sheila), and Todd Berbert (Rebecca), and by his beloved posterity and their loved ones (16 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren), and his sister Betty Beukers.
David was preceded in death by his eternal companion Geraldine, his sons Alan and Jonathan, his granddaughter Christie, and his great-grandson Isaac, as well as his parents and 3 brothers - Henry, John, and Richard.
Funeral services for David will be held at 11am on Friday, March 24, 2023 at the Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral Home, 500 E. Walnut Street, Springfield, Missouri. A time to gather with the family will be held prior to the services beginning at 9:30am. Interment to follow at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery. Funeral services will be streamed online for those wishing to attend virtually or unable to attend in person.
https://www.facebook.com/Hhlohmeyerfuneralhome/videos/732792638320838
Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com.
From Panama, the family moved in succession to Rock Island, Illinois; Ft. DuPont, Delaware; Denver, Colorado, and Columbia, Missouri, where David matured and no longer accompanied the family on their later moves to Schenectady, New York; Japan; and San Francisco, California, finally retiring in Watsonville, California. Later career moves of his own led David to experience many locales, but wherever those moves took him, he consistently planted trees, gardened, and served others. He also enjoyed a little woodworking and simply loved to help living things - and people - to grow.
The Gospel first came to David’s attention while living in the state of Delaware. On visits to his maternal grandmother in Washington, DC, he attended church with her whenever possible. In Denver, he attended rather regularly and was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 15. Within a few months, the family moved to Missouri, where David became involved in the local Branch as a Sunday School teacher. The branch met in a University building, then an Odd Fellows upstairs hall, then the Branch President’s (Sylvan Wittwer) basement, then Brother Piatt’s renovated garage, and finally in their own building. After graduating from Hickman High (home of the Kewpies!) in 1943, David attended the University of Missouri, then spent two years in the Army in World War II. He recalled that his testimony grew rapidly in Columbia and greatly increased during those two years of wartime service. Upon returning home in 1946, he was called on a mission to Southern California for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He gladly accepted and felt blessed to learn from Dean Vest the meaning of charity, the pure love of Christ.
Of most note to David and in answer to his prayers over the prior two years, just before leaving on his mission, he met the love of his life - Geraldine McKeel - and asked her to wait for him as he went on his mission. She did wait faithfully, despite other pursuers, and David and Geri reunited at the university in Columbia, Missouri. They chose to be married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple on April 15, 1949, during a short Spring break. To travel there from Columbia, they took a bus, train, and airplane to Kansas City, Denver, and Salt Lake City, respectively (and were grateful to be granted an extra Spring Break day without penalty), returning home the exact same way.
David and Geri welcomed their son Alan David into the world on March 17, 1950, in Columbia, Missouri. Then, after receiving Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education, David accepted a teaching position at South High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here they added their daughter Cathy Christine on December 1, 1952, and pursued studies at the University of Utah. In June of 1953, opportunity knocked, and David and Geri loaded into their first automobile - a $275 Oldsmobile “Torpedo” - and set off for California and a teaching position at Santa Maria Union High School, where their third child, Jonathan Richard, was born on October 8, 1954.
David went on to teach in Ventura, California at both Ventura and Buena high schools and at Ventura Junior College, while teaching early morning Seminary classes for 4 years. Kenneth George was born on Geri’s birthday in 1960 in Ventura. Then in 1965, David took a sabbatical leave, and the growing family moved to Los Angeles for the school year to work toward a doctoral degree in earnest. There they had their fifth and final child, Todd Christopher, on October 12, 1965. David received his Doctorate in Education from UCLA in December of 1967, after having returned to Ventura. With his new credentials in hand, David worked over the next several years in both California and Missouri, where he served in the Kansas City area for 10 years as Dean of Students at Maple Woods Community College from its founding. He also served faithfully in many church callings, including as Bishop in the Kansas City North Ward.
After returning to California for a teaching stint at Tamalpais High School near San Francisco from 1982 through 1986, David and Geri moved ‘home’ to Geri’s birthplace to be close to her parents and 3 of her 8 siblings in Springfield, Missouri. Before finally retiring, David worked as a highly-prized substitute teacher in Springfield high schools and as an instructor at Drury College, helping Science and Math teachers learn new teaching skills.
David claimed that - blessed with his soulmate by his side - his greatest accomplishment was raising 5 children of their own, but together they impacted many lives beyond their own family’s. Even in retirement, David and Geri embarked on perhaps their most joyful adventure together ever - as church missionaries in the Tacloban, Philippines area. There, they shared the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with many, helped several children and youth to obtain needed medical care, and served others compassionately when severe challenges came along, such as when a terrible flash flood in 1991 struck Ormoc, the city in which they were living. It took the lives of thousands, including 22 members of their branch. Though grieving themselves, they were deeply involved in helping and comforting the impacted victims and survivors.
Around 2000 - the beginning of a new millennium - a new challenge came as dementia slowly crept up on Geri. David patiently and tenderly provided 24/7 care to his sweetheart for the next several years while also surviving a severe cancer scare of his own. In the final years of his life, after Geri’s ‘graduation’ from this life in 2008, David endured the effects of dementia himself, but he could still sing beautifully and remembered practically every hymn and song from his younger days. Best of all, he retained his dignity, kindness, sense of humor, and the accompanying twinkle in his eyes. In his Independent Living facility in Kansas City, Missouri, he persevered through the long, lonely months of COVID pandemic protocols that confined him to his apartment, before moving to Memory Care in Draper, Utah for the last two years of his exemplary life. During these later years, he was lovingly looked after by his family and friends and by the kind caregivers at Ashford Memory Care and Inspiration Hospice in Draper, Utah.
David is survived by his children Cathy Runyan-Svacina (Larry), Kenneth Berbert (Sheila), and Todd Berbert (Rebecca), and by his beloved posterity and their loved ones (16 grandchildren, 32 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren), and his sister Betty Beukers.
David was preceded in death by his eternal companion Geraldine, his sons Alan and Jonathan, his granddaughter Christie, and his great-grandson Isaac, as well as his parents and 3 brothers - Henry, John, and Richard.
Funeral services for David will be held at 11am on Friday, March 24, 2023 at the Herman H. Lohmeyer Funeral Home, 500 E. Walnut Street, Springfield, Missouri. A time to gather with the family will be held prior to the services beginning at 9:30am. Interment to follow at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery. Funeral services will be streamed online for those wishing to attend virtually or unable to attend in person.
https://www.facebook.com/Hhlohmeyerfuneralhome/videos/732792638320838
Permanent online condolences, stories and photos may be shared at www.hhlohmeyer.com.