Longtime Bay Ridge activist, PR powerhouse Ruth Berg dies at the age of 80

Longtime Bay Ridge activist and community icon Ruth Berg has died at the age of 80.

A loving mother of two, grandmother of seven and partner to her husband, Arthur, Berg actively served the community she loved most for decades.

In that time, she spent 14 years as a member of Community Board 10, and ample time with such groups as The Bay Ridge Lions (which she served as treasurer), and the Colonial Club of Bay Ridge (which she served as president).

Within the Lions Club, Berg dedicated her time to pursuing the group’s objectives: creating spirit, promoting principles, uniting clubs, providing open discussion and encouraging people within the community. As president of the Colonial Club, she promoted the economic and social welfare of the Bay Ridge community.

Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann told this paper that she considered Berg both a good friend and a mentor.

“Ruth Berg exemplified how giving back to the community through volunteer service can truly make a difference. Ruth was a leader with style and grace,” she said. “Ruth’s professionalism and outstanding communication skills garnered the respect of her peers, local business leaders and residents.”

Berg served as a member of CB 10 from 1981 to 1983 and then again from 2002 to 2011.

Career-wise, Berg made a name for herself as a part of the Networking Productions Group as well as Southwest Brooklyn Business Promotions, for which she did public relations. She was the co-publisher of a publication called “Living with Style in Southwest Brooklyn,” in which she always included a segment dedicated to providing updates on her beloved community board, entitled, “The Power of Ten.”

Berg was named a “Star of Brooklyn” by The Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator in 2013, at which time she told this paper that her motivation was simple: a serious love of helping others.

She died on Monday, November 21, and will be remembered at McLaughlin and Sons Funeral Home (9620 Third Avenue) on Saturday, November 25 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

She will be laid to rest on Monday, November 28 at noon at Green-Wood Cemetery.

“Ruth Berg will be greatly missed,” said Beckmann.