In Memoriam: Fred Berg

31 Years of Service

Spanish Teacher, Coach, and so much more to so many

On January 30, 2021, the St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School community lost faculty member and coach, Fred Berg. Fred joined St. Stephen’s School in 1963, retired in 1994, and then continued to teach as a substitute until 2012. He taught Spanish and Sacred Studies, and coached baseball, basketball, and football. Fred was inducted into the SSSAS Hall of Fame in 2015 for his work coaching Saints athletes. In recent years, he often visited the school and spoke with history classes about his experiences in World War II.

Fred played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. He graduated early from The Lawrenceville School because he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as a radio operator and rifleman in the Italian campaign of World War II. His service in this campaign earned him a Silver Star and Infantry Combat Badge. After the war, he received a bachelor’s degree from Yale and a master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado.

Fred taught at several prep schools before accepting a position at St. Stephen’s in 1963 as the school’s only Spanish teacher. Fred came bearing great stories with which he would regale students for decades, believed in an open-door policy, and had a kind sense of humor, which helped make the school a welcome home for hundreds of student-athletes. The Spanish teacher affectionately known as “Señor,” always had an ear for the student-athlete and his challenges.

As St. Stephen’s School grew in size, Mr. Berg became the godfather of school spirit, introducing a spirit and service organization known as the Red Key Club. He is one of the few individuals at SSSAS to receive two yearbook dedications, in 1969 and 1980. The 1969 “Scroll” mentions: “Through the Red Key and Booster Clubs he has taught us that St. Stephen’s is a school we can be proud of. In our athletic endeavors he has shown us that success only comes through effort and practice. He has taught us what education means by relating it to our personal lives.” The 1980 “Scroll” says: ““We would like to recognize a man whose immeasurable contributions to the school and its community reflect his love and devotion to St. Stephen’s and its students. He is an easy-going man who is at peace with himself as well as his peers, yet has gained our respect as a man of high character and integrity.”

Mr. Berg was instrumental in the early days of the St. Stephen’s Basketball Tournament, assisting Coach Al “Sleepy” Thompson with coordinating and hosting the visiting teams, setting up food stands, putting up posters, and supervising all operations of the event. His involvement with the tournament spans nearly its entire history, having served as a judge for more than 25 years. In 1971 the tournament program was dedicated to Mr. Berg.

But it was on the baseball diamond in the mid-1960s that he started serving as a head coach. Catcher Chris Meloni ’79 cites some of the rare qualities that made Coach Berg’s presence on the baseball field a benefit to so many St. Stephen’s students: “After a full year of academic and sports intensity, it was nice to be around a life force that seemed to exude… hope. I’ve had many coaches say, ‘Get out there and have fun,’ but Mr. Berg embodied that expression. He brought joy to the game and the season. His coaching style was demanding but always positive. He created an atmosphere I found invigorating and freeing, and I always looked forward to playing for Señor.”

Mr. Berg also coached football and basketball at the JV level, assisting Sleepy Thompson on the fields and courts. When he wasn’t coaching, he was filming football. Many of the black-and-white reels used in the SSSAS Hall of Fame ceremonies are thanks to Fred Berg in the tower. When he wasn’t filming, he was announcing. When he wasn’t announcing, he was running summer camps.

All four of Mr. Berg’s sons attended St. Stephen’s (Bill ’72, Hank ’74, David ’80 and Andy ’85), but of course he had many more boys at the school who were drawn to his hopeful and positive attitude. As Tom Mustin ’78 shares, “He made all of his students feel welcome, and we left his class feeling better about ourselves.”

For notices received before March 7, 2021.

Alumni

Valerie Steinmetz Denio ’52
September 13, 2019

Judith “Judy” Jaudon Bednar ’55
January 2, 2021

Frances Jean “Jean” Wells ’55
sister of William “Bill” Wells ’60
December 7, 2020

Charlie Hooff ’58
brother of Caroline Taylor Hooff Norman ’65, father of Maremi Hooff Andreozzi ’90, Churchill Hooff ’91, Janney Hooff Jay ’94, and Carlie Hooff Casella ’00, grandfather of Morgan Jay ’25 and Augusta Jay ’27
February 1, 2021

Kathryn “Katy” Cragun Grace ’59
sister of Joanna “Jo” Cragun Tinius ’57 (deceased)
July 18, 2020

Margalee Oelrich Riggan ’63
January 8, 2021

J. Brooke Spotswood ’65
January 30, 2018

Kristin Bernhart ’75
December 1, 2019

Mark Bistline ’75
brother of James Bistline ’71 (deceased)
November 13, 2020

Deborah “Debbie” Woodman Carrico ’76
daughter of Jean Androus Woodman ’55, sister of Courtnay Woodman Weitekamp ’79, Jessica Woodman Godwin ’80, Eve Woodman ’84, and Alexandra Woodman Johnson ’89; aunt of Nat Johnson ’21, Ben Johnson ’18; sister-in-law to Geoff Johnson ’89; niece of Ted Androus ’58 (deceased), Lynne Androus Smith ’60, and Deborah Androus ’67; cousin of Theo Androus ’88 and Ezra Androus ’88
November 21, 2020

Dr. Leslie E. Smith ’80
sister of Powell Smith ’83, Ted Smith ’88, Abby Smith Miller ’90, and Leigh Smith ’90
November 30, 2020

Andrew Nelson ’98
June 5, 2020

Faculty and Friends

Claire Lindsay McCrady
mother of Melanie McCrady Page ’77
January 16, 2020

Stephen Suor
husband of Judith “Judy” Kurtz Suor ’58
March 2020

Stephen Yeonas
father of Stephanie Yeonas Ellis ’72 and Steve Yeonas, Jr. ’75
November 11, 2020

James “Jim” Gudinas
husband of Karen Zimmerman Gudinas ’58
November 18, 2020

Carl Smith
father of Kristen Smith Fredericks ’04 and Bryant Smith ’07
November 24, 2020

Donald “Don” Burnett
husband of Karen Bradley Burnett ’66
December 3, 2020

Benjamin “Ben” Hoge
father of Leslie Hoge ’75
December 15, 2020

Jacquelyn Dinwiddie
mother of Heather Dinwiddie ’71, Hollister Dinwiddie ’75, and Leesa Dinwiddie Kerns ’77
December 19, 2020

Brig. Gen. Richard “Dick” Bednar
husband of Judith “Judy” Jaudon Bednar ’55 (deceased)
December 20, 2020

Col. Eugene Deatrick
father of Will Deatrick ’77
December 30, 2020

Frederik R. Tellekamp
husband of Madeleine Long Tellekamp ’63
January 4, 2021

Dr. Charles “Chuck” H. Miller
father of Leigh Miller Pyle ’91
January 4, 2021

Craig Keith
father of Harrison Keith ’99 and Rob Keith ’03, husband of Sherley Keith (former faculty)
January 7, 2021

Michael “Mike” Bradshaw
father of Thomas Bradshaw ’98
January 13, 2021

Brian Eady
father of Julie Eady Rao ’88 and Sue Eady Bartlett ’90
January 13, 2021

Kim H. Miller
father of Natasha Miller Sekkat ’96 and Geoff Miller ’02
January 19, 2021

James Burwell (former staff)
January 21, 2021

Sean Powell
husband of Tamara Walker Powell ’95
January 31, 2021

Dr. Joseph Braddock
father of Tony Braddock ’84 and Bob Braddock ’85
February 6, 2021

Helen Reid
mother of Liz Kryder-Reid ’78 and Richard Reid ’80
February 12, 2021

Levi Ganderson Fridy
step-father of Karen Washington Franklin ’73
February 18, 2021

Brad Lindsey
father of Julia Lindsey ’15 and Jenna Lindsey ’18
February 19, 2021