Stefan Berger ’45

Stefan Berger died April 27, 2013.

Stefan was born in Wuppertal, Germany. He immigrated to the United States at age 14. He entered Princeton from Littleton High School in Massachusetts. His Princeton studies were interrupted for service as an interpreter and interrogator with the 9th Army, and he saw combat in Europe. He returned to receive a degree in chemistry in 1948.

One of Stefan’s fondest memories of Princeton was having a Shabbat dinner with Albert Einstein.

Stefan married Renate Neu, a Holocaust survivor, in 1953, spent a brief time in California, and then moved to Erie, Pa., where he became a chemist at Hammermill Paper Co.’s corporate headquarters for more than 40 years. Stefan and Renate were very involved with the Jewish community in Erie.

In 2004, they moved to Charlotte, N.C., to be close to their children and grandchildren. Stefan was a true gentleman. His family came first. Renate was Stefan’s soul mate. She died Aug. 6, 2013.

He is survived by his sister, Margret Kanner; his children, Jonathan, and his wife, Tess, and Michael Berger; and five grandchildren. The class expresses its sympathy to the family.