It is with sadness that I let the forum know of the death of my husband, John Berch. He passed away at home on May 16th and his services were Monday, the 21st. It looks like a heart attack but I won't know until the autopsy report is back within the week. He spent many hours on this forum and has made many friends here.
Please accept all of our condolences for your loss.
I am very sorry.
My prayers are with you and your Family.
Kirk Peterson
Santa Fe, NM
My condolences.
I have talked to John thru email & on the forum for the past couple years and considered him a friend. I regret never having the pleasure to meet him in person.
Luke Dahlinger
Susan, I am so sorry to hear that. A few months ago, John sent me a copy of Bruce McCalley's book to give to Garrett, a young man in Boonville MO. We corresponded about the book and my visit with Garrett. I certainly wish you strength in what must be a very difficult time for you and your family.
Dick Lodge
John has told me about the nice young man from Missouri who is interested in the Model Ts. He was very happy to be able to pass on any knowledge that he had.
A year ago John took a break from the forum. I encouraged him to return, and I'm glad I did, and he did. He's been one of my favorite forum people, and I'll greatly miss seeing him here.
Sorry to hear this! John was always a valued contributor here. We will miss him. My condolences to you, and thank you for letting us know of his untimely passing.
Susan -- Thank you for sharing this awful news with us. John was a thoughtful participant in our Forum, and we will miss his contributions. He was very proud of his TT truck, and rightfully so. May God be with you during this difficult time.
I JUST saw this!.......
You have my deepest sympathy.
John and I had talked several times regarding the Hart Parr motometer and he sounded like a REALLY nice guy!
I know if we had met we'd have been fast friends.
I asked him why the heck he was still working........I guess you can't keep a good man down.
I'm very saddened.
We are all so lucky to have known other Model T owners like John via the forum. It was special for me to introduce John to my friend Steve who lives nearby John in Winterset Iowa although I live in country Queensland Australia. I must go and get on with my TT restoration and think of my friend as I work.
Susan,
I'm so sorry for your loss. I've been on the phone with John, and had every intention of stopping by on one of my trips through Des Moines. He was a good man and Model T friend.
Rob
I am so very sorry to hear the news. Susan, thank you for telling us so that we may pray for you and John.
Dave
Susan, Please accept my condolence for the loss of your husband. John was a wonderful contributor and friend. I am so sorry.
My sincere condolence for such a sudden and unexpected loss...our Model T forum family is truly saddened.
Dan Treace
Susan - I am very sorry to hear of Johns passing. I corresponded with him about Model T's and know he was a good man and avid Model T'er. Judging from the picture, his TT was one of the best. Keith
So sorry about your loss. Our prayers are with you.
Orlando
Susan, thank you for taking the time to let us know this. Ours prayers are with you and your family. His post will be missed.
This saddens me immensely, Susan. You can be proud that he was such a good man, and respected and admired by so many here, who hadn't even met him. I guess we are sort of an informal John Berch Society. I used to kid him about his name.
You must be so shocked at such a sudden loss, much more so than we are. Thank you for taking the time to post. Was there any obit we could read?
rdr
Susan, I just read this. I am shaken to the core. John called me up on the phone not long after I joined this forum in 2008 because we both have TT's. We talked for at least an hour I think. It was as if we had known each other for years. I considered him a very good friend from then on. We talked many times after that on the phone and exchanged emails often. He helped me get some very hard to find parts for my coupe and I sent him some parts for his TT. We had a lot in common in our earlier days even though we didn't know each other. We were always going to try to get together and "chew the fat", but never made it. Now that I think of it, I don't even know what he looked like, but I still consider him one of my best friends. I am very deeply saddened and send you and your family my deepest sympathies and sincerest condolences. Dave
I'm sorry to hear that. This saddens me a lot, and I will miss him.
My condolences on so profound a loss.
Bob Coiro
Commack, NY
I have read his book to Page 21 and will read it this summer.
Like I said in my last post, this is sad. Even though I never got to meet him, he sounds like a really nice guy and sent me a book called "Model T Ford: The Car that Changed the World" who was written by Bruce W. McCalley, who also died this year.
I just prayed for John Berch. This is a really sad loss. My condolences.
Here is an obituary and you may leave online condolences there as well.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/desmoinesregister/obituary.aspx?n=john-herman-b erch&pid=157680597
My condolences...((
It always saddens me to hear of these things. But thank you for taking the time to inform us. I always want to know when a friend passes. I never met him in person. But had exchanged emails a few times.
My deepest condolences to you, and the rest of his family, for your great loss.
W2
At just 57
Got to value every day, we don't know when it's our turn to leave. My condolences.
Thank you Susan, for finding the strength and courage to tell of your tragic loss. I have only known John from reading his posts here, but know that he was a sincere man.
I know a little of what you are going through as my mother-in-law passed away on the 19th and her funeral was yesterday. Although m-i-l she was virtually a mum to me, but unlike John she managed to live to 95.
Sincere condolences to you Susan.
I'm very sorry to read about your loss.
Norm Kling
Sorry for your loss. I will keep you and your family in my prayers.
Our sincere condolences to the Berch Family.
Harvey & Karen Decker
Craig, thanks for posting that link to John's obituary. Dave
Susan, No words we can say will ease the shock that you must now bear and the rest of his friends here on the T Forum are in at this moment.
I haven't know John long but talked to him several times at length on the phone. Last I tried to get him to come meet us at the Lincoln Tour but he was worried about the speed of his truck.
I connected to him with my thoughts of Iowa as I grew up on a farm in NE Ia. and attended ISU.
I was just getting ready to call him again to see if I could stop by his place after the Tour as we are traveling on to Manchester.
I am totally shocked and you have my deepest sympathies. My first wife was taken very suddenly and the though the pain will ease with time the loss so sudden is so very harsh.
My thoughts and prayers will be with you.
Gene
Susan, No words we can say will ease the shock that you must now bear and the rest of his friends here on the T Forum are in at this moment.
I haven't know John long but talked to him several times at length on the phone. Last I tried to get him to come meet us at the Lincoln Tour but he was worried about the speed of his truck.
I connected to him with my thoughts of Iowa as I grew up on a farm in NE Ia. and attended ISU.
I was just getting ready to call him again to see if I could stop by his place after the Tour as we are traveling on to Manchester.
I am totally shocked and you have my deepest sympathies. My first wife was taken very suddenly and the though the pain will ease with time the loss so sudden is so very harsh.
My thoughts and prayers will be with you.
Gene
I'm sorry to hear of John's unexpected passing. I've been gone for a few days and haven't read the forum until now. My sympathies to his family. May the thought that his many friends remember him with fond memories ease your sorrow.