Friends, loved ones and former colleagues will gather to remember the life of former state Assemblymember Patty Berg at a memorial service from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, at the Baywood Golf and Country Club in Arcata.
Berg, the founding executive director of the Area 1 Agency on Aging who went on to serve six years in the California Assembly, died Nov. 19 at the age of 82. She is remembered as a proud Democrat and feminist who spent her years trying to help those around her.
Remembered as a fierce advocate for seniors who spearheaded the state’s first-of-its-kind master plan on aging, Berg was born and raised in Seattle and moved to Humboldt County in 1974 and made it her home. She was influential in the startup of the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in 1975 and worked in the county Public Health Department, where she helped develop the state’s first comprehensive K-12 family life and sex education curriculum for public schools.
Berg founded the Area 1 Agency on Aging in 1980 and served as its executive director for nearly two decades, helping it to grow from a staff of four to more than 25, administering dozens of programs serving seniors in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. She also co-founded the Redwood Coast Jazz Festival as a fundraiser for local seniors services. After a very brief retirement that saw her lead an effort to defeat a ballot measure that would have allowed a Wal-Mart store to move into Eureka’s waterfront, Berg decided to run for the state Assembly in 1999 and took office in 2002, serving until term limits pushed her out in 2008.
During her time in office, Berg headed the effort to publish the state’s first master plan on aging in 2006 and also laid the foundation for what would become the death-with-dignity bill, which passed after she left office.
Berg then spent her second retirement working as a consultant with the Legislature, creating a training and mentorship program for new female legislators, and championing local organizations she believed in, including Hospice of Humboldt and Life Plan Humboldt. (For more on Berg’s life and legacy, see past Journal coverage here.)
The March 1 memorial event is open to the public and will feature remarks from some of Berg’s former colleagues from Sacramento and local community leaders who worked with her, as well as friends and family. An opportunity for attendees to visit and share stories will follow the formal program.
In an obituary, Berg’s loved ones asked that memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Humboldt, Life Plan Humboldt, the Humboldt County Library Foundation or a charity of the giver’s choice.
This article appears in The Humboldt County Fair is at a Crossroads.