Lasting Memories

M. H. Berg Berg
1920-Nov. 21, 2008
Menlo Park, California

Russell M.H. Berg Berg died at Stanford Hospital last Nov. 21 at 88, three weeks after being diagnosed with lymphoma, complicated by kidney failure. He was a retired Hewlett-Packard official who once worked on the launch of the classic HP-35 handheld calculator that revolutionized how people related to computers.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., he moved with his family to Los Angeles at age 9, where he graduated from Beverly Hills High School. He entered the University of California, Los Angeles, as a pre-med student, but transferred to Stanford University after a year. World War II interrupted his studies, and as an ROTC student he joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a lieutenant commander in the Pacific. He was serving on the ship, "Curtis," which was bombed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

During the war he married Marjorie Lee Biddle of New Jersey, where they settled after the war. They had three children. Berg worked in publishing and advertising in New York, at McGraw Hill and Scientific American Magazine. In 1966, he joined Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto as director of marketing and communications.

He retired in 1985, and was proud of having been involved with the development of the famous HP-35 handheld computer that became one of HP's early staples. Following his retirement, he consulted with Silicon Valley companies and entrepreneurs. He also served on the boards of Sensory Access Foundation, which provides technology to help the visually impaired, and of the Archimedes Foundation, which works on access technology for persons with disabilities.

In 1974, Berg married Tuula Pullinen of Helsinki, Finland, and they resided in Menlo Park. They shared a love for Italy, and at 70 studied Italian. He also adopted Finland as a second homeland.

He is survived by Tuula, children Deborah, Christopher and Laura, four stepchildren, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.