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Bergman, Donald J.
Donald J. Bergman, 79, of Mount Vernon, formerly of Cedar Rapids, died Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010, at St Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids. The family will greet friends this Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at St Andrews Golf Club in Cedar Rapids. Memorial services will be 4 p.m. Saturday at United Methodist Church, Lisbon.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Parkinson's Research at the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at University of Iowa or Kirkwood Community College Scholarship Fund.
The youngest of seven children, Don was born Oct. 21, 1930, in Des Moines, Iowa, to first generation Swedish immigrants, Olaf and Matilda Bergman. After graduating from Des Moines Roosevelt High School in 1948, he earned a B.A. degree in education from Simpson College and a master's degree in counseling from the University of Iowa. Don served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He married his Simpson College sweetheart, Miriam (Otterbach), on June 12, 1953. Don taught and coached in the New Sharon, Belle Plaine, and Cedar Rapids school districts. He retired as a guidance counselor from Cedar Rapids Washington High School in 1991.
Don was an excellent athlete, lettering in football, basketball and baseball while at Simpson. He was an outstanding golfer winning the Cedar Rapids City Amateur Tournament twice in the early ‘60s before turning professional. Don qualified to play in four U.S. Senior Opens. He was a highly regarded golf instructor in Cedar Rapids for many years at St Andrews Golf Club. In 2002, Don made a pilgrimage to Scotland with his sons to play three of the legendary British Open courses.
Survivors include his wife, Miriam; his sons and their families, Mike (Lynn) of Mount Vernon, Dave (Jackie) of Kansas City, Dan (Tonya) of St. Louis and Tim (Dawn) of Fernley, Nev.; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents and six siblings.
The family would like to thank the staff at the Solon Care Center for the compassionate care they provided Don during his stay.
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