Bert died unexpectedly March 12, 2011, while bicycle riding during a visit to Florida.
Bert grew up in Lake Forest, Ill., the town he returned to after graduation. At Hotchkiss, he was named Best Athlete. Varsity hockey at Princeton followed, and he majored in history with Charter Club as his home base.
Bert joined First National Bank of Chicago as a First Scholar and earned an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago. After a stint at Baxter Healthcare, Bert entered real-estate development, a pursuit that occupied the rest of his professional life. Starting at LaSalle Partners in 1990, he moved to Broadacre Management as a partner with his brother, Robert ’72. With Robert, he worked on the Market Square project in Lake Forest as well as ventures in Boston and Washington State.
Bert’s interest in sports did not languish. He enjoyed helicopter skiing, golf, and cheering for the Chicago Blackhawks.
A keen student of human nature and skilled negotiator, Bert is remembered for his quick wit, talent for repartee, and fair-mindedness. A scholarship fund in his name has been established at Lawrence Youth Hall Services in Chicago, where he was a longtime trustee.
To his wife, Kristin; his stepdaughters, Sarah and Katy; and brothers Robert and Henry, the class sends sincere condolences.