Orville Berg Obituary

Uncle Orv

Sadly, we lost the Patriarch of Moms family today. Uncle Orv passed away this morning after a few days in hospice, following his cardiac issues. He had lived a good life for 92 years, and as everyone who knows him is aware he lived life on his own terms.

Orv retired as the musical repairman for the Minneapolis Public Schools at the age of 55, and headed south to Florida for his and Marcys retirement. Their

Uncle Orv

Sadly, we lost the Patriarch of Moms family today. Uncle Orv passed away this morning after a few days in hospice, following his cardiac issues. He had lived a good life for 92 years, and as everyone who knows him is aware he lived life on his own terms.

Orv retired as the musical repairman for the Minneapolis Public Schools at the age of 55, and headed south to Florida for his and Marcys retirement. Their retirement was indeed full of life.
He never retired in the true sense of the word, as he was always active in his adopted Florida community, as well as the world of music in his area.

He continued to repair musical instruments for the school in the town he retired to, as well as performing in an orchestra until well into his 80s. He also continued to make violins, violas, and even a cello.

All through these vast retirement years there was GOLF, GOLF and more GOLF. He loved that game, as did Marcy. He had a wealth of friends both here at home, as well as his retirement world of Florida. Im not sure when he played his last golf game, but not too many years ago.

Orv and Marcy had 5 children, 7 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren, with one more on the way. He was the only brother to 3 sisters. My mother adored him until she died.

Orville was always a good son to Bennie and Lily. He studied under, and worked with Bennie in his musical shop in South Minneapolis, and catered to his mother, Lily, until she died at the age of 100. Even though he had retired to Florida, he always came home in the summer for a few months to help meet all her needs.

Like many others in our family, Uncle Orv was in the Navy during WWII. I have often tried to get family info and history from him. At one time in recent years, I asked him to please write me a summary of his time in the Navy during the war. In true Orville fashion, he wrote me this very concise summary of his military service as follows:

The ship that I was on was the YMS #319. This was a minesweeper; made of wood and
was 130ft. long. We left the states in early July 1944, and were in four invasions. In the Battle of Peleliu, an island in Palau; then we swept the channel for General Douglas MacArthur when he returned to the Philippines in the Battle of Leyte. Next was the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf. On April 1st 1945, we got to Okinawa and swept the area for the invasion fleet which got there on April 9th. We were there until the end of the war. After that, they sent us up to Japan to sweep the China Sea. The Island of Fukuoka was our base until Christmas. It took us three months to get back to the States. I received a 30 day leave right away and met Marcy. End of story.

I will miss him greatly, and am grateful that I could go down to Florida in October for a visit with him and Marcy. He was a perfect example of what we call The Greatest Generation. Kudos to Uncle Orv. He lived his life well. Actually, he nailed it.