Loren at Veedauwoo Wyoming 1970

 

Remembering Loren Berg

Julia Berg, May 2011

 

If I had to describe Uncle Loren in one word it would be thoughtful.  Gift giving is truly an art, and Uncle Loren’s thoughtfulness was most clearly displayed in his an unmatched ability to give to everyone in his family, at every age, the perfect gift.  Every Christmas, birthday, and graduation, his was always one of my favorite gifts.

 

When he moved from Denver to DC, I was about 3 and Uncle Loren asked my parents if they wanted him to bring anything back from Colorado, before he made the final move to the East Coast.  I chimed in, “Red boots!”  However many weeks later, Uncle Loren arrived and brought with him a present.  I looked in the bag and looked back at him, “Red boots!  I think even as a little child, I was shocked that anyone would remember and deliver on exactly what I wanted!  I wore those red cowboy boots with every outfit imaginable until I absolutely could not squeeze into them anymore, at which time Deborah started wearing them until they completely wore out.  

 

This is just one small example of the many gifts he gave all of us.  Somehow he knew exactly what and how to give to all of us at every stage of our lives without anyone ever telling him.  His incredible thoughtfulness and generosity are what made him so good at this.  He taught us through example to always listen, and he knew us so well because he listened to everything we said since we were babies.  

 

When we were little, we would get SO excited for his visits down from DC.  He was definitely a fun uncle - when he babysat it was party time - and we loved going to visit him in DC.  I think my decision to move there this past fall was heavily influenced by the fond memories I shared with him there.  With my parents, Uncle Tom, and Uncle Loren all being artists, we spent a lot of time in galleries and museums.  Mom and Dad wisely trained Deborah and me to be well behaved and patient in these settings, but when we finally hit a brick wall, Uncle Loren was the one we ran to.  He would take us to the gift shop and get us the coolest toy, and then walk us all around the Washington Mall.  And for this reason, we also loved traveling with him.  He was always patient, always kind, and always loving.  

 

When our last house was being renovated, luckily I was away at school, but Deborah was left to deal with the chaos.  During this time, Uncle Loren, a man of order and regimen, graciously entertained my parents and Deborah regularly for dinner.  Deborah knew they would be there until 11 at night and she wouldn’t get any homework done, but she didn’t care because he would make the most amazing meals and then treat everyone to the most recent great film…. that he most likely pirated from the internet.

 

Another one of Uncle Loren’s great qualities was his dry sense of humor.  This mixed with the fact that he was a true Norwegian contrarian made for some great jokes.  Once as Uncle Loren was typing in his computer password with his initials, LRB, Deborah asked, "Uncle Loren what’s your middle name?"  He looked at her straight-faced, in all seriousness, and answered, "Roberto."

 

Uncle Loren’s most famous line and response to just about anything was, “Ehhhhh… I don’t think so.”  It was this kind of passive skepticism that allowed him to question everything without ever offending anyone.  It could be easily translated as: “Well no, you’re wrong.  But if you ask me enough questions on the topic, maybe I’ll explain to you ,in the most diplomatic and non-confrontational way, just exactly why you’re wrong.”  

 

Uncle Loren was a true craftsman in all that he did.  Whether he was saving your computer hardrive from crashing, baking one of his famous pies, or painting one of his exquisite still lives, he had a system and his system was perfect.   But he would never say that was the case.  He was extremely humble about his many skills and talents.  After a recent conversation I had with him about his career, if I didn’t know any better I might have thought that he had a short and insignificant career.  When in fact, he had a bright, successful career as a software engineer during the most pivotal, developmental years of computers.  

 

Having majored in both art and computer programming in college, he returned to his passion for painting during retirement.  Anyone who has ever seen his work is struck by the detailed perfection of his paintings and his unique treatment of the still life.  But Uncle Loren would never admit it was more than paint on a canvas.

 

Uncle Loren was an expert in everything that interested him, and he was always willing to share and use his knowledge for the benefit his family.  In his last days, he told my sister, who shares his passion for baking, “Deborah, I’m going to need to teach you the pie making…. sooner than expected.”  I think this one-liner really sums up Uncle Loren: thoughtful, generous, talented, and witty.