John (Jack) Harvey Berg, 84, passed away on 3 November 2020 at Rose Monahan Hospice Home in Worcester, MA. He was born on May 1, 1936 to C. Harold and Elizabeth (Betty) Marie (Selen) Berg.
Jack grew up in Worcester and graduated from Classical High School. After high school, he attended Mt Hermon School and Middlebury College.
Jack’s passion and appreciation for all living things led him to accept a position as the Nature Director for the YMCA spending much of his time working with campers at Camp Blanchard in Sutton, MA.
Jack married Donna Quist in 1958 at Salem Square Covenant Church in Worcester and they were happily married for 62 years. He was an active member of Salem Covenant Church and served twice as the Chairman of the church. Jack was one of the founders of Briarwood, a continuing care retirement community in Worcester.
Jack and Donna moved to West Boylston in the early 1960’s and he was very active in the town, serving as the town moderator for 20 years and as a scoutmaster for the local Boy Scout troop.
Jack joined the family business, Stone and Berg Lumber Co., in 1962 and added a hardware division that included locksmith services. Jack taught himself this trade and soon was doing locksmithing work for several of the local colleges and universities, including Holy Cross College and Clark University both in Worcester. In the early 1970’s, Jack started a distribution arm, supplying goods and services to the local locksmiths. This grew into a full-fledged distribution business and in 1974 produced the first of many catalogs that helped the business grow to serve locksmiths throughout all of New England.
Jack was a consummate performer and sang and played several instruments including piano, guitar and his true passion a 4-string tenor banjo that he played in various folk groups and eventually with the Salem Four Quartet. The Salem Four was a part of his family for many years and they performed all over New England, and as a group, with their wives, travelled on vacation together singing and playing wherever they went. Jack would often perform solo and would especially like playing folk songs for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren or anyone who would listen. In addition, Jack and Donna both sang in their church choir.
Jack loved the ocean, and would spend his vacation with his family and friends two weeks every summer at Moody Beach. In 1989, Jack and Donna bought a cottage on Moody Beach and lived there and in the Wells, ME area for 26 years before returning to Worcester in 2017. While in Wells, they attended and actively served in the Wells Congregational Church.
Jack is survived by his sister Natalie McNerney and his children, Peter (Cheryl) Berg of Mariposa, CA, Laura (Gregg) DeVolder of Tilton, NH, and Melissa (Samuel) Santander of Charlotte, NC. Jack leaves behind 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
His wife Donna, his parents, Harold and Betty, and his brother Donald, preceded Jack in death.
A memorial service will be held at the Salem Covenant Church on a future date.
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