Pete was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the oldest of four children born to Edith and Wally Berg. He is survived by his sister, Chris Millard, of Cincinnati, and his brother, Andy, of Atlanta, and his brother, Steve, passed away in 2002.
Always the athlete, Pete was a three-sport letterman in high school and was most proud of having been captain of his basketball team, which won 51 consecutive games over three seasons. Pete was awarded an NROTC scholarship to attend Miami University (OH); his father had been a naval officer in WWII, making this a natural path to follow. Upon graduation and commissioning, he served five years of active duty in the Navy aboard two destroyers homeported in San Diego, including one year in Vietnam. Pete then returned to the States to attend Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, where he earned an MBA. Throughout his career, he held senior marketing and sales positions with Masonite, Certain Teed, Jøtul USA, and Berg Associates. Along the way, his career was bolstered by the strong relationships he established with his colleagues, associates and customers.
His wife, Judy, was the love of Pete’s life and they met at Miami University. With his Navy assignment in San Diego and Judy’s teaching positions in Southern California, it allowed them to continue their courtship in California, and they were married in Cincinnati in December of 1965. Pete and Judy have two children: son Brian and his wife, Trish, of Canton, OH, with children Tyler and Jenna; and daughter Cory and her husband, Douglas, of Warren, RI, with sons Otto and Max. Pete and Judy enjoyed being together — they loved to travel, play golf, and, of course, spend time with their family. Doing things together made their life easy.
When retirement came, Pete and Judy moved to Southport, NC, and built a home designed with the help of their architect daughter, Cory. In addition to playing golf and biking, Pete joined the Cameron Executive Network at UNCW to mentor students in the Business School, was active in the Kiwanis Club, and enjoyed his poker groups and a book & wine club.
Pete also loved staying in touch with friends and classmates. He enjoyed organizing reunions of classmates, shipmates, and his fraternity brothers. Pete had an insatiable curiosity — about the life of whoever he was talking to, or any subject that came up. He was genuinely interested in what you had to say and earned the nickname of The Inquisitor. Most of all, he loved making friends. It was as if he could walk into any town in the country and, if he didn’t already have a friend there, he would soon make one.
His fraternity motto, which he kept on display in his office, read in part: “The True Gentleman is a man whose conduct proceeds from goodwill and an acute sense of propriety….”. Pete lived his life as an officer and a gentleman. He always had a positive attitude and believed that a smile was worth far more than a frown. His sense of humor put his friends at ease, and his quick wit could turn a serious discussion into something humorous.
Pete enjoyed life and would want to say to the folks he knew best,” Thank you for being my friend — but most of all, thank you for allowing me to be your friend.”
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Kiwanis Club of Southport/Oak Island NC, St. Peter Lutheran Church, Southport, NC, or Lower Cape Fear Life Care, Bolivia, NC.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00 noon on August 15, 2026 at the St. Peter Lutheran Church located at 4843 Southport-Supply Road in Southport, NC.
Peacock – Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service, Southport
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