Mr. Charles C. Bergen

Charles Campbell Bergen, born to Jack and Maddy Bergen in the Berkshires in 1944, passed away on August 3, 2026, unexpectedly but peacefully at his home in Lenox in his favorite armchair after cooking a delicious lunch. As a young boy, along with his brother George, sponsored by his grandmother, Countess Huguette de Foras, Charles was admitted into a small boarding school in France, where he was taught discipline, religious principles and the French classics. Until his recent passing, Charles (also known as “Sandy”) could still recite poetry in French by heart and conjugate in Latin! As the son of a US Military Claims Division legal counsel, Sandy continued his education at an American High School in France. After graduation, Sandy enlisted in the Navy, hoping to fly fighter jets off of aircraft carriers in the Vietnam war, but ended up instead in Washington D.C. at the Pentagon. He did not give up on his dream of flying, however, working his way through flight school, until he was licensed as a “twin engine” pilot! He returned to Paris after his active-duty service and enrolled in the American University in Paris. There, in addition to his studies, he converted his passion for motorcycles to the driving pleasures of a small British roadster, the Sunbeam Alpine, with which he caught the attention of many “Parisiennes”! When the family moved back to the States, Sandy helped Maddy and Jack to renovate a farmhouse in Vermont and, a few years later, to relocate them to the Berkshires. He finished his college education at Arizona State University, where he reignited his passion for flying. With his pilot’s license, he found work in Arizona, California and eventually Canada. Among other experiences, he flew converted WWII bombers, dropping water over forest fires and spraying crops against insects. By the 1980s, he found his way back to the Berkshires and started a successful business as a “one-man show”, renovating/repairing old houses for friends and family. His love for houses led him to obtain his real estate license. He could then not only help clients find their dream homes in the Berkshires but also keep an eye out for fixer-uppers. In 1988, he was asked by his cousin, Kinney Frelinghuysen, to come and help him at the newly created Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio in Lenox, first by working on the buildings, then the grounds and eventually living and working on the property full-time for more than 35 years. Sandy loved his work, both inside and outside the buildings. He developed a keen sense for preserving the historic buildings, the woods, the acres of lawn and the flower gardens on the estate. He could repair almost everything and, if he couldn’t, he knew someone who could! Although a very “reserved” person, Sandy enjoyed social occasions, especially those that invited him to put on a blazer and bow tie – or a tux! He cut an elegant figure and was a great dancer. He took part in activities at the Lenox Club (dinner dances) and at the Mahkeenac Boating Club (lunches and sailing). He also attended summer “French Breakfasts” at the Mount in the company of other Francophiles to maintain his French. He particularly loved the Christmas season, when he would join Berkshire friends and family members, singing carols around the piano in homes around Stockbridge, Lenox and Tyringham. At home, Sandy maintained a rigorous daily program of “fitness and health” activities. For many years, he practiced martial arts, joined spinning classes at Lenox Fit, continued downhill skiing, and walked vigorously in Kennedy Park and to church on Sunday mornings. We will miss our “gentleman brother” very much for his deep love of family, his loyalty as a friend, his direct way of approaching issues, his quirky sense of humor, his reverence for “Bruce Lee”, his attentive hospitality when we were his guests and his delicious cooking! During his life, he sought no attention, always looking to help others, striving to be independent. In his passing, he left us in the same way; peacefully, without a fuss, his affairs in order and prepared us to move on with life! Sandy is survived by his siblings: George Bergen, Christophe Bergen, Delphine Phelps, and Susan Hart; his sister-in-law Verena Hellweger; his brother-in-law Joseph Hart; his nephews: Joshua and Maximillian Phelps and Kameron Schultz; his many cousins, especially Kinney and Linda Frelinghuysen, who were part of Sandy’s daily life for the past 36 years, and those in the U.S. and in France. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 10:00 am at St. Ann’s Parish in Lenox. We invite those who knew Sandy to share their favorite memory of him on this website for his family and friends to enjoy!

Mr. Charles C. Bergen

May 26, 1944 - August 3, 2026