Donald Lee Berg Obituary (1943 - 2021)

Born Dec 11, 1943, Donald Lee Berg attended Charlevoix High School in Charlevoix, MI. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Donald Lee Berg.

Graduation Year	Class of 1962
Date of Birth	Dec 11, 1943
Date of Passing	Feb 26, 2021
About	onald Lee Berg, affectionately known as "Doc" by his family, was found dead on February 26, 2021 in his Otsego County home by his best friend, Jack Parker. Donald came into this world December 11, 1943, along with his twin sister, Donna (Friedeberg), who survives him. He is also survived by his daughter, Myriah Cummings, and his siblings, Betty Smith (James), Mary Ann Chew (Vince), and Daniel Berg. He was preceded in death by his father, Leo Berg, and his mother, Ruth Struthers Berg. Doc grew up on the family farm on Old 31 North in Hayes Township, Charlevoix. In 1962 he graduated from Charlevoix High School where he had played football and other sports. Soon after his graduation, Donald enlisted in the U.S. Navy serving four years which included duty aboard the nuclear submarine USS Plunger and the conventional submarine USS Archer Fish. During his navy service Donald earned SCUBA certification and learned underwater welding. One of his first civilian jobs upon returning home to Charlevoix was underwater welding during the construction of the breakwater for the Medusa cement plant. Thanks to the G.I. Bill, Doc was able to attend Michigan State University where he earned a B.A. degree and received a teaching certificate. He taught Industrial Arts at Harbor Beach, Michigan where he married Sue Stewart. He and Sue moved to Hayes Township, Charlevoix where their daughter, Myriah, was born. Don had returned to work on the family farm. In the mid 70's Don, Sue, and Myriah moved to Florida as caretakers of a Scout camp. Their duties included care of the camp's horses. Their daughter, Myriah, became a lover of horses and a skilled rider. Today Myriah is a registered nurse in Florida. After Donald's marriage to Sue ended in divorce, he moved to the west coast of Florida where he established a business as a commercial ocean fisherman. As a secondary business, Don built a plant to manufacture stone crab traps. Upon retirement Donald sold his businesses and returned to Michigan. In 2006 he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Thanks to the wonderful care and expert treatment of his disease by the medical staff of the Ann Arbor, MI Veterans Administration Hospital and the University of Michigan doctors, Donald survived this usually fatal cancer and was able to live an independent life at his home with his two beloved Jack Russell terriers until the time of his recent death. There will be a family memorial at a later date. Memorial gifts may be given in Donald Lee Berg's memory to a charity of your choice. Arrangements were entrusted to Nelson Funeral Home & Cremation Service, PO Box 1548, Gaylord, MI 49734.