Thomas Richard Berg 1947-2011

BERG

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/14/2012 at 14:13:22

Sioux City Journal
July 18, 2011

Dr. Thomas Richard Berg, 64, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., formerly of Sioux City, died unexpectedly of natural causes on July 10, 2011, in Murfreesboro.

Memorial services will be 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 21, in the Mass Comm Building on the campus of MTSU in Murfreesboro. Arrangements are under the direction of Woodfin Funeral Chapels in Murfreesboro.

The son of Orvis and Joan Berg, Thomas was born Jan. 6, 1947, in Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated from Sioux City Central High School in 1966. He earned degrees at Grandview College, Des Moines; the University of South Dakota, Vermillion; and Iowa State University, Ames; and a Ph. D. in mass communications from the University of Georgia in Athens.

A collector of TV Guides and an avid reader since childhood, Thomas loved the written and spoken word and excelled at both. His near-encyclopedic knowledge of both radio and television broadcast media stood him in good stead as he embarked on a lifetime of teaching.

In his early career, he served as an instructor at St. Bonaventure University, Olean, N.Y., and the University of Texas at El Paso and as an assistant professor at Creighton University, Omaha. He had been an associate professor in the Electronic Media Communications Department for the Mass Communications College at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tenn., since 1991. His love of both travel and teaching took him to universities in Germany and China, where he lectured as a guest professor.

Thomas was baptized and confirmed at Augustana Lutheran Church in Sioux City. In 1976, Thomas married Sandra McIntosh. To that union, a son, Jason, was born in 1982. The couple divorced in 1999, but continued to hold one another in high esteem.

Survivors include a son, Jason Berg of Nashville, Tenn.; two sisters, Barbara (Larry) Dunlap-Berg of Nashville, and Deb (Jeff) Sypersma of Sioux City; several nieces and nephews, as well as many friends in Middle Tennessee and around the world.

Preceding him in death were his parents; grandparents, Jacob and Maude Huber and Tom and Minnie Berg; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Donations in Thomas' name may be contributed to the MTSU Foundation, P.O. Box 109, Murfreesboro, TN 37132.