{"id":118517,"date":"2026-01-31T18:31:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T18:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/118517\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T18:31:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T18:31:13","slug":"michael-berg-one-in-a-million-devoted-husband-father-and-grandfather-dies-at-70","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/118517\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Berg, \u2018one in a million,\u2019 devoted husband, father and grandfather, dies at 70"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Michael Berg, devoted husband, father, and grandfather, whose generosity, humor, and tireless dedication made him a beloved presence at Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto for more than a decade, died on Jan. 28. He was 70. <\/p>\n

Since 2014, Berg served as facilities director of Catholic Charities of Staten Island at Mount Loretto, a role he embraced not simply as a job, but as a calling to serve people with dignity, care, and compassion. <\/p>\n

Colleagues said his work touched every corner of the organization and countless lives beyond it. <\/p>\n

\u201cToday, our Catholic Charities of Staten Island family is heavy-hearted as we mourn the loss of a truly cherished family member,\u201d said a social media post <\/a>announcing his passing. \u201cWe are deeply saddened to share that Mike Berg, our longtime facilities director, has passed away after a courageous battle for his health. <\/p>\n

\u201cMike retired last year to focus on that fight. And while we hoped and prayed for a different outcome, we can find comfort in the incredible legacy and numerous memories he leaves behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born April 20, 1955, in Oceanside, N.Y., Berg was the son of Jack Victor Berg and Selma Berg (n\u00e9e Mishkin). He grew up in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, and graduated from Lincoln High School, where he distinguished himself as both a lifeguard and a pre-Olympic gymnast and speed skater.<\/p>\n

A lifelong helper by nature, Berg\u2019s early years foreshadowed a career defined by service. In the 1980s, he volunteered as a firefighter in Hazlet, N.J., later founding his own ambulance transport company in North Jersey.<\/p>\n

\"(StatenMichael Berg, left to right, Vincent Ignizio with his daughter Lina, Joe Delaney (the Bunny), Anne Tommaso, Nancy Delaney and Anthony Rapacciuolo at the Catholic Charities of Staten Island Easter Egg Hunt Event, held on the campus of the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, Mount Loretto, Pleasant Plains. April 15, 2017. (Staten Island Advance\/Derek Alvez)(Staten Island Advance\/Derek Alvez)<\/p>\n

His varied professional background also included work as a printing company manager and as a merchant marine captain.<\/p>\n

Berg ultimately found his professional home at Catholic Charities of Staten Island, where Mount Loretto became what colleagues often described as his \u201csecond family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joseph Delaney, retired chairman of the board of Catholic Charities of Staten Island, reflected on Berg\u2019s deep faith and devotion to those in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs director of our facilities for Catholic Charities of Staten Island, Mike Berg was devoted to the people of God in need,\u201d Delaney said. \u201cMike worked very hard to assure that our facilities at Mount Loretto and Anderson Ave. were always accessible to people who came to Catholic Charities for the services our agency offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cMike was so proud to be a part of the management team that helped to serve the people who Christ called us to serve, \u2018the least of my brethren.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. He is pictured with Claire Atalla, the CEO of Catholic Charities of Staten Island. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)(Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)<\/p>\n

Indeed, Berg was hailed as \u201ca \u2018one-in-a-million\u2019 guy\u2014 a true Renaissance man, as talented, versatile and funny as he was kind and big-hearted.”<\/p>\n

On Facebook, <\/a>Berg was credited for many of the successes of Catholic Charities. \u201cOver the last decade, he played a major role in our organization\u2019s success, and, more importantly, he was simply a joy to be around. <\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond his professional dedication, Mike\u2019s vibrant personality made him a beloved figure across our entire community.<\/p>\n

Outside of his professional life, Berg was known as a man of remarkable versatility and curiosity. He was a scuba diving master and instructor, a black-diamond skier, a merchant marine captain, a keyboard pianist, and a skilled \u201cMr. Fix-It\u201d who could repair almost anything.<\/p>\n

\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, left, standing next to Claire Atalla, the CEO of Catholic Charities of Staten Island, and staff members. Berg has recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)<\/p>\n

In 1995, he met Donna Berg (n\u00e9e Bellino), the love of his life. They married two years later in the Bahamas, and Berg was quickly embraced by the Bellino family.<\/p>\n

Berg is survived by his wife, Donna; his children, Dawn Spina (n\u00e9e Berg) and Jason, and his grandchildren, Madison, Victoria, Justine and Emma. He was predeceased by his son, Justin.<\/p>\n

He is also survived by his brothers- and sisters-in-law, Phil and Diane, Anthony and Linda, as well as many nieces and nephews.<\/p>\n

\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)<\/p>\n

Vincent Ignizio, former chairman and CEO of Catholic Charities, honored Berg in a Facebook post following his passing, crediting him as a foundational force behind many of Mount Loretto\u2019s programs and facilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis man gave his heart and soul to Mt. Loretto for many years. No issue or problem I had as CEO was ever too challenging for Mike. We wouldn\u2019t have our festivals, sport plex, camps \u2014 anything \u2014 without Mike. <\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone will take credit; he was one of the true originators of it all,\u201d Ignizio said. \u201cEvery challenge he was given was always met with \u2018No way, let me look at it, maybe,\u2019 and then, \u2018Chief\u2019 (what he called me), \u2018it\u2019s done.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cHe loved the kids, the seniors, and our DD population. He was a jokester, a sincere friend, and one who was always there when anyone needed him \u2014 for anything. The world is a worse place without him in it. RIP Mike Berg. Thank you \u2014 you will be missed. Love ya, pal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)<\/p>\n

Claire Atalla, current president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Staten Island, shared similar fondness for Berg on social media, honoring his memory and emphasizing the deep sense of loss felt throughout the organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur hearts are broken. This morning, we lost Mike Berg \u2014 one of our dearest colleagues and a truly special part of our Catholic Charities of Staten Island family,\u201d Atalla said. \u201cMike was loyal, funny, and sarcastic in the way only he could be.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was deeply dedicated to his work and truly loved what he did every single day. He was proud of his work, proud of his team, and proud to serve others \u2014 and it showed in everything he did. Mike brought laughter, honesty, and heart into our days.\u201c<\/p>\n

\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. He is pictured with (l-r) Kerianne Kelly, Michelle LaVignera, Claire Atalla, and Donna Berg. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)(Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)<\/p>\n

Atalla added: \u201cHe cared deeply about the people we serve and about the colleagues he worked alongside. The loss we feel is profound, and his absence will be felt for a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cRest easy, Mike Berg. Thank you for your dedication, your humor, and the love you had for this work and this team. You will always be part of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arrangements are under the direction of Evergreen Funeral Home in Middletown. A private service for immediate family will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.<\/p>\n

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Berg\u2019s memory to Blood Cancer United at bloodcancerunited.org.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)(Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)\"(CourtesyPhoto of Michael Berg, the beloved Director of Facilities of Catholic Charities of Staten Island and Mount Loretto, who recently passed away at 70. (Courtesy Catholic Charities of Staten Island)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Michael Berg, devoted husband, father, and grandfather, whose generosity, humor, and tireless dedication made…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":118518,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-118517","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}