John James 'Jack' Berty

John James "Jack" Berty 84, of Indianapolis, was born November 18, 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to John Jack and Anna Oella (Collins) Berty. Jack was the oldest of four siblings, and was preceded in death by his brother, Donald (Joan), and his sister, Arlene (Ron) Manley. He is survived by his sister, Lucille (Paul) Pesavento. Jack graduated from Penn State University in 1953, although his education was interrupted by a tour of duty in the US Army, when he served with the peacekeeping force in Germany during the Korean Conflict. He took his degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from Penn State to Indiana University, in Indianapolis, where he served as the assistant food service manager (and established the first residence with his new wife, Ruth (Hart) Berty, and new-born son, both in the Union Building. The Indianapolis Berty family grew quickly, with the addition of J. Jeffry (Judith), Cheryl Ann (David) Stevenson, Douglas Donald (Penny), Michele Louise (Troy) Russell, and Brett Alan (Alise) in the space of six short years. All of them suffered the loss of Ruth to cancer in 1965, leaving Jack to raise five children age 12 and under. Jack's career continued in food service, with a variety of establishments, including two that he owned. He later moved into sales, in the floor covering and RV industries. During the latter stages of his sales career Jack met and married Donna Freeman, a healthcare executive. They embarked on his retirement and her change in work location, by moving to Colorado Springs, CO, in 1994. They returned to Indianapolis and their extended family in 2008, shortly after Donna became ill with cancer. She passed away in 2010. Throughout his adult life Jack was avidly interested in politics and current affairs. He was a self-confessed "C-Span" junkie. He was also an avid hunter, enjoying the challenges of the wild in Indiana and Colorado. He and Donna very much enjoyed camping in the Rocky Mountains and their winter timeshare on the island of St. Maarten. He remained a life-long fan of Penn State football, where he was a student manager with a new assistant coach named Joe Paterno. He also remained faithful to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers, although he grew to love the Indianapolis Colts, as an inaugural season-ticketholder. Jack was preceded in death by the two loves of his life, Ruth and Donna. He is survived by his five children, three step-children Tom Freeman (Lisa), Matt Freeman (Stephanie), and Amy Freeman, and 28 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be at Flanner & Buchanan Mortuary - Speedway on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, from 3 to 4 for family, 4 to 6 for friends, with a memorial service at 6pm. Memorial contributions may be given to the American Lung Association. Iurnment will be in Crown Hill Cemetery with Ruth and Donna. You are invited to go to the Guest Book page to pass along your personal message or tell a story. Sincerely, -Your friends at Flanner and Buchanan