Margaret Young Berg passed away peacefully on Thursday evening, January 31, 2013, in Mesa, Arizona, at the age of 96. Although her hearing failed, she remained physically active and mentally sharp to the end. A long-time resident of Connecticut, she moved to Mesa in 2007 from Glastonbury, Connecticut, to be near her son Douglas' family.
She was the wife of William D. Berg, a mother of three sons, a teacher, political activist, campaign manager, candidate for the Connecticut state legislature, tennis enthusiast, UConn basketball fan, unpaid full-time lobbyist for liberal and progressive causes, writer, world traveler, and expert on New England gravestone rubbing. She was blessed with many friends who continued to write and call after her move to Arizona, a state whose political landscape would undoubtedly have matured by now had she moved there at a younger age...
In 1988, the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut honored her with an Official Citation "in recognition of a decade of service to the Caucus of Connecticut Democrats as their spokesperson on all major issues and of a lifetime of dedication to the causes of peace and humanity, making her the conscience of us all".
She is survived by her sons: Vin of Great Falls, Virginia; Jerry of Leesburg, Virginia, and Douglas of Mesa, Arizona; and her grandchildren: Earl of Redwood City, California; and Samantha of Mesa, Arizona.
I will predominantly remember Margaret as a loving aunt who was always supremely happy to see her nieces and nephews. Starting when I was very young attending reunions, she gave every indication that she cared greatly for us and without equivocation believed in our abilities. Whenever I was around her, my self-doubts seemed to disappear in a surge of renewed resolve to meet her high expectations for academic and athletic performance. At the same time I did not find her to be overbearing or demanding of any particular outcomes. Her confidence in me knew no bounds, as for example, when I landed a job as an assistant professor at Oregon State U.; she opined that it would only be a matter of time until I got a job at Harvard because they would need me. (I think Margaret was right; it is just that Harvard was in a state of denial.)
I treasured Margaret’s visits to Corvallis to see Aubrey, as I would always learn something new about schemes Republicans were cooking up to screw the middle class. We had wonderful conversations, offering our interpretations and making jokes about political events and personalities. I never met a stronger and more effective defender of Social Security. From Nixon to Reagan to the Bushes, she was onto the next Republican dirty trick before they even thought of it themselves.
One time, probably about 20 to 25 years ago, Chuck and I took an Amtrak train from NYC to Hartford where Margaret picked us up, drove us to her home in the woods and treated us to a terrific meal. The next day our first order of business was to visit the Connecticut state capitol building. It was abundantly clear that this was Margaret’s favorite social space. She knew every office, nook and corner, proudly describing her volunteer lobbying efforts. As citizens we owe her a debt of gratitude both for her unrelenting political vigilance advocating for a range of important liberal causes, and for her dedication getting into Joe Lieberman’s sagging face many times when he clearly deserved it. According to Margaret, on one occasion Joe’s greeting was something like, “Okay Margaret, I’m busy, what is it this time?”
Margaret’s second order of business during our visit to was to invite the Mainers to join us in Glastonbury, specifically Cousin Dick, Sandy, and their offspring, Kathy and Rick. It was a rare occasion for me, as it was the only time I have ever met Rick and the first time I had met Kathy. We had a real family jam session that evening to Margaret’s complete delight.
Margaret was a bundle of swirling energy and enthusiasm. Like her brother Aubrey, she had the travel bug in her genes and channeled a predilection for adventure into travel abroad, particularly in her later years. As I recall she went to Greece with Elder Hostel at age 80+, and then to China when she was 83. Of course she pumped me for advice and information about my many experiences in China before she went, and then I debriefed her afterwards. She enjoyed that trip enormously, taken aback only once by a Beijing policeman who inquired about her age, and after finding it out, confronted her, “What is an old lady like you doing here?” She retorted something like, “I have just as much right to be here as anybody else.”
With Lois on a trip from San Diego, I saw Margaret for the last time three or four years ago in Phoenix. Doug joined us in digging through Margaret’s family photos from the early 20th Century, including her aunts, uncles and cousins, and herself and Aubrey as children. I noticed that she had lost much of her physical strength, but seemed mentally as sharp as ever. Her essence of love, compassion and zest for life was still present, and I will cherish the memory of it.
As an anthropologist I am aware that human culture confers socially shared meanings on our surroundings, actions and interactions, thus determining values and goals that fundamentally define what is right and what is wrong. Margaret showed us the way to consciously find and affirm the deepest understandings and most universal human values in our lives. We should embrace each other, reach out to share what we know and what we have, maintain a sense of humor, and not carry any doubts or regrets into the future.
John Aubrey Young, Nephew
February 10, 2013
