Barbara Ruby Berg

Barbara Ruby Berg entered the world on Christmas Eve 1929, in Los Angeles, California, a precious Christmas gift to her parents Byron and Ruby. She grew up surrounded by the love of her family and shared a particularly close bond with her beloved aunts.

Barbara began her working life through an aunt who helped her find a position at the Broadway department store in Los Angeles. During these years, she met Bill Berg on a blind date. Their meeting began a life-long story, and they married in 1952. A few years later Barbara left her job when she and Bill welcomed their first child, Patty. Bill’s work later gave them the opportunity to move to San Diego. Soon they had their second child, Lindee. Barbara loved and proudly called San Diego home for over 70 years.

Barbara spent time raising her family and working in various jobs. She served as a church secretary at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, helping with the church nursery school, and later became a bookkeeper at San Diego Surveys. At home, she managed the family’s day-to-day finances, a responsibility she handled with confidence at a time when that role was less commonly held by women.

Early in their marriage, Barbara and Bill enjoyed square dancing, entertaining and travel. Through work, Bill was able to take vacations to locations such as Acapulco and Hawaii. As the children grew old enough to travel, they discovered a shared love of camping. Barbara cherished those adventures so much, that even after the girls had grown up and left home, she and Bill modified a van so they could continue camping on their own. Even into her 90s, Barbara affectionately spoke of how much she missed camping. In later years, the camping turned into taking cruises together to Panama, Alaska, Nova Scotia, and the Caribbean.

Faith was the cornerstone of Barbara’s life. Although her parents did not attend church, Barbara chose as a teenager to begin attending a nearby church. That decision began a lifelong devotion to God and support to the Lutheran church. She served faithfully in many roles, including as an elder. She sang in the choir, supported church events and fundraisers, and generously volunteered her time to help keep the church grounds beautiful.

Barbara lived 96 and a half remarkable years, filling them with faith, love, family, service, adventure, and devotion. She was lucky to celebrate 68 of those years married to Bill before his passing. She trusted that one day she would meet her Savior, and her family finds comfort knowing that she is now resting in His loving arms, and that she is reunited with the loved ones who went before her.

Barbara is survived by her daughters and their spouses, Patty and Dennis and Lindee and John, along with her grandchildren and their spouses, Dena and Jason and Cameron and Amanda. Her legacy will continue to live in all of them.