William A. Bergman

William A. Bergman

Keystone, Colorado

William A. Bergman was born to Alphonse and Pauline Bergman nearly 100 years ago on March 15, 1924, at Ft. Madison, Iowa. He had two younger siblings, Louie and Sissy.

Bill went to the University of Iowa in 1941 at age 18 on both basketball and football scholarships. He was there for one year and then enlisted into the Army Air Corps to be a navigator in B-24 bombers. His squadron of 10 was stationed at Cerignola, Italy where became a second lieutenant and also the lead navigator for the last few bombing missions.

In 1946 the war ended and Bill returned to Iowa City. He met and married Jane Livingston on April 3, 1947 shortly after she was graduated with a degree in history. Jane was born June 28, 1924 to Robert and Lolly Livingston. She grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa, except during her high school years, which were in Cedar Rapids. Jane went to the U of I in 1942, was active in many school councils and committees. She was a freshman Iowa beauty queen representing her beloved Delta Gamma sorority. When all the boys went to war these young Delta Gamma girls forged friendships that lasted throughout their lives.

After Jane and Bill married, Jane worked for the Veteran’s Administration in Iowa City, supporting Bill through law school. Then they moved to Cedar Rapids where Bill rented office space and the use of the library from a kindly, elderly lawyer. In 1949 they had their son, Billy, and in 1952, their daughter, Lolly. They included their children in all sorts of summer and winter sports and activities, becoming a truly outdoor family. And when Bill and Lolly married and had children (Lolly and Doug’s Karrin and Seth Dykstra, and from Bill’s first marriage, Parker and Darci Bergman), Jane and Bill spent time similarly with their grandchildren.

Bill and Jane became involved in the Jaycees and the Young Republicans, and Jane in the Junior League, PEO, scouting, PTA, and the Linn County Board for Handicapped Children and Adults, as well as her charitable activities with their church. They also joined the Cedar Rapids Country Club which became the hub of their family’s recreational and social activities for many decades.

Bill then gained young entrepreneurial business clients, which helped him decide that his legal firm he would build would deal solely with those in private enterprise. In 1961, he partnered with Clint Moyer, a fine man 12 years Bill’s senior, who practiced governmental law. Because of Clint’s seniority in age, Bill insisted the firm’s name be Moyer & Bergman. Bill continued as the driving force in building the business law firm. It quickly grew to 21 lawyers. After Bill retired, Moyer & Bergman joined ranks with Simmons and Perrine in 2009 becoming the firm of Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman, PLC. This is one of the largest law firms in Iowa. Building his law firm from the start, to when he retired 50 years later in 1999 at age 75, is what Bill once said was the one accomplishment of which he was proudest.

Upon retirement, Bill and Jane built a home in Keystone, Colorado, and moved there for their remaining years. They continued to make wonderful new friendships and to enjoy mountain life.

Bill was a passionate and a prodigious golfer. He began competing with summer golf championships in Cedar Rapids and around the State in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He also qualified and played in the National Amateur at Pebble Beach, California in 1961. After Bill managed to become a zero-handicapper, he began a long amateur career of traveling with Jane to England and Scotland. There he played in the British Amateur Championship 12 times and the British Senior Amateur 8 times. He also played in the U.S. Senior Amateur 6 times and 3 Senior Opens which thereby got him elected into the Society of Seniors. He continued playing 18 holes several days a week every golfing season from 1999 through much of 2023. He played primarily at his beloved course, The Keystone Ranch, with his group of good friends who called themselves the “Bergman Boys.” At age 96, he had his one last hole-in-one.

In 2000, Bill was appointed Vice Chair of the National Small Business Association Advisory Board, which meant trips to Washington, D.C. and sometimes meetings in the Oval Office. He did this for a few years and then pursued more local Keystone community endeavors. He and Jane both continued with volunteer community services up until their 90’s.

A major achievement of Bill and Jane was the founding and building of Keystone Resort in 1969. Max and Edna Dercum owned and ran a rustic inn, the Ski Tip Ranch, six miles from Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Colorado. Bill and Jane had vacationed for years in their old cabin close by the Ski Tip. Keystone was Max’ idea and dream. He asked Bill to join him to try to develop the ski area. Bill, with Jane at his side, put together the entire package from start to finish while Max focused on trail design and establishing the ski school. Bill was the new (Iowa) corporation’s president and then board chairman for the first 6 years, paying himself a salary of $100/year. Jane worked tirelessly selling Keystone to perspective buyers and visitors as well as putting in oodles of plain old, hands-on, hard work in getting the new area up and running.

In 2012, Bill was inducted into the Colorado Ski and Snowboard (now “Snowsports”) Hall of Fame in the Sports Builder category. According to the article in the 2012 Colorado Hall of Fame magazine:

“Thanks to Bill Bergman’s astute business knowledge, forward thinking, and ability to turn Max Dercum’s dream into reality, Keystone became a world-class ski resort, achieved status as an industry leader, and established industry practices that are still in use today.”

In March 2004, “Little Bowl,” a vast above-tree-line intermediate snow bowl accessible only

by hiking, and snow cat, was renamed “Bergman Bowl” by Vail and Keystone.

This past December 30, a new 6-seater high speed chairlift began operating called “Bergman Express,” opening up access to 555 acres of above-tree-line skiing experience to people of all degrees of skill, including entire families, in some of the most breath-taking scenery in the world.

There is a universal truth – The day of death is when one’s character is sealed before God and men.

What others had to say:

In 2010 Bill received the Distinguished Board Member Award from the Colorado Special District Association as a Board liaison from the Snake River Water District. The District staff said:

“Bill is a remarkable Board member. His ability to discern a solution, render advice with inflection, and simplify a problematic situation makes working with him a pleasure. Under no circumstances does Bill convey judgement or carry a personal agenda into the boardroom. Bill leads from the wisdom he has obtained throughout a lifetime of legal and business knowledge, service to his community, and personal experience.”

One of Bill’s former law partners (whom Bill had hired as a young man in 1980) kindly wrote:

“Bill Bergman was insatiably curious, generous, totally joyous, kind, and demanding in just the right ways. Bill was inspiring and wholly unpretentious. He was a good man and made others want to be good. Bill eschewed formal firm leadership, but set the example with his character. . . . Bill was effusively outgoing, quick with a smile (or sometimes a pointed reminder to remember to share or some such thing), and a thoroughly social being. He was a staunch supporter of the firm and its lawyers, and certainly its clients. He was a voracious reader, a sometimes author, a skilled skier, scratch golfer, attentive lawyer, intrepid hunter, . . . patient father and husband, and a fearless risk taker.” Bill Bergman was completely unassuming, never wanting to take advantage of anyone, ever. (Neither did Jane.) A very dear Keystone friend of theirs said of Bill the other day: “He was a splendid man!” (Jane was rather splendid in her own way, too.)

This same attorney above wrote these words about Jane upon learning of her death on September 27, 2015:

“What an amazing life force was Jane. Strong, forward-moving, taking every bit of life in, in every breath, insatiably curious (and caring about that for which she was curious), looking to find the good in everyone (and not much tolerating the bad in anyone). Unafraid to put anyone or anything to the test (and seemingly usually doing so), but being the most fierce of defenders if that test (usually nothing more than standing for a principle, any principle) was passed. A better ally no one ever had. She didn’t treat those of us who joined the Firm as sons exactly, (more like students who were expected to ‘mind’) but her expectation was that we treat each other as brothers - and we have and do. This alone has impacted many in good and long-lasting ways.” Another law partner, one of the originals, wrote: “Jane’s personality was genuine and refreshing. I never had any question about how she felt when we talked.”

Their son Bill’s close high school friends wrote upon her death:

“Jane was the ultimate matriarch.” “She was a wonderful person and definitely a presence wherever she was.” “Your mother was a strong, classy and adventurous woman – I cannot say I know a woman who lived a more full life that your mom – how many people ski, play golf, party, etc. all the way into their 90’s? Your dad adored her and they made a wonderful couple. They served as wonderful role models to me and many of those on your ‘buddies’ (email) list.”

And that about sums Bill and Jane up, as she would say, in a thimble. Their character is sealed.

Bill was preceded in death by his precious wife Jane in 2015; and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Don & Barbara Rathbun and their sons Donny & Mark; his brother Louis & sister-in-law Sweet Adeline Nancy Bergman; and his sister Sissy. Bill and Jane leave behind to be remembered by with love: Bill & Rita Bergman, Lolly & Doug Dykstra, Karrin & Erik Miller and their children Finn, Elan, Heidi, & Greta Miller, Seth & Jenny Dykstra and their children Delia & Caleb Dykstra, Parker Bergman, and Darci & Paul Sutherland and their son Leo Sutherland.

A "Celebration of Life " will take place in the summer at Keystone — during golf season. Date to be announced later this year.

In lieu of flowers, Bill and Jane’s family would be very grateful for anyone wishing, to make a contribution in Bill’s honor to the Keystone Science School.

Online Donation Link: https://www.classy.org/give/433047/#!/donation/checkout

Mailing Address: Keystone Science School, 1053 Soda Ridge Road, Keystone, CO 80435.