Call now for immediate attention: 772-999-5547

Call now for immediate attention: 772-999-5547

Charles Daniel Bergfeld – “Dan”

December 27, 1942 ~ September 25, 2020

Dan’s Celebration of Life has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 11:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan. Due to Covid-19 restrictions currently in place this will allow for a larger gathering.

Dan Bergfeld died peacefully at home in Vero Beach after a long battle with cancer.  He never complained, and the genuine smile that lit up his face reflected his lifelong gratitude for a good life, well lived, with people he loved and who loved him.   Dan will be remembered for his warmth, his welcoming smile and white fluffy hair, his kindness and thoughtfulness for others, his wit, his embodiment of love.

He was born in Bronxville NY, but lived most of his life in Stamford and New Canaan Ct, until he and his wife, Holly, moved to Vero Beach fulltime in 2018.  He was educated at New Canaan Country School and Milton Academy, and received a BA from Yale College in 1965, where he was proud to sing T1 with the Whiffenpoofs; he later received his MBA from the Stephens Institute of Technology.

His career in NYC was in management consulting and operations analysis for NYC government during Mayor Lindsey’s administration.  But his real life passion was music, and his tenor voice gifted quartets, choral groups, Whiffalumni benefit concerts, and church choirs in NYC, CT and FL.  He relished concert tours with the Greenwich Choral Society and the Yale Alumni Chorus in Russia, China, Cuba, Bulgaria, France, Italy and Greece. If not singing, Dan could be found on a tennis court in men’s and mixed doubles.  Or in the workshop at Silvermine Arts Center (New Canaan CT) where, as a juried member, he’d create large sculptures to move in the wind, as evidence of the invisible Great Spirit.  Raised in the Quaker tradition, he has been a member of the First Presbyterian Church and choir (New Canaan) for much of his adult life, but he drew his faith from many traditions, particularly the Lakota Sioux: “Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.  So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.”

He is survived by his wife, Holly Adams, the love of his life, and Phoebe, their 21-mo old mini Labradoodle; step-children Lisa (Pope) Ward, Andrew Regier, and Abby Regier (Burton Fletcher) and grandsons Tucker, Chris, Briley and William; brother-in-law John Adams (Melissa), sisters Lisa Bergfeld Soleau and Kristin Bergfeld, and nephews Jason and Tyler Soleau.  He was pre-deceased by his mother, Tina Mansfield, his father Albert Bergfeld, and his stepfather Walter Mansfield.

Contributions in his name may be made to a musical organization of your choice, or to his favorites:  Greenwich Choral Society (Greenwich CT), Vero Beach Choral Society (FL), Sea Oaks Chorus (FL).

Condolence

Cathy Gores Lynch

October 1, 2020, 4:39 pm

Thank you for sharing your memories of Dan. You captured beautifully the man I have respected and admired for many years. I first knew him at Country School, then in NY when we both worked for Lindsey, and then again when he contacted me to ask if he could help my mother. His warmth and genuineness will be much missed.

Carol Woodman

October 2, 2020, 2:35 pm

Dearest Holly:

I am so very sorry to see Dan leave us; but his voice will be with us always. Our prayers are winging their way to you and you are always on our minds.

Love, The Woodpeople

Vasiliki Volkwein

October 2, 2020, 7:38 pm

Dear Holly,
We’ll be thinking of you and Dan on the 21st, on Thanksgiving, and December 27. We will certainly be in New Canaan on May 15.
Love,
Kiki and Fred

Jenifer Mina

October 3, 2020, 5:46 pm

Holly,
A beloved Community Church of Vero Beach choir member and member of Vero Beach Community Chorus is singing off-stage now, but we can hear him still.
You are the kindest person that I know, I hope that you can find strength to go forth with grace and gratitude. Love, Jenifer

Jenifer Mina

October 3, 2020, 5:54 pm

Holly,
A beloved choir member of Vero Beach Community Church and member of Community Chorus of Vero Beach is singing off-stage now, but we can hear him still.
You are the most grace-full person that I know, I hope that you are given the strength to go forward with courage. Love, Jenifer

Ralph Protsik

October 4, 2020, 6:46 pm

A wonderful man, terrific singer, talented artist, and unforgettable friend. The world needs more like Bergie. How we will miss him, and how grateful we are that he had Holly by his side.

Jim Rule

October 6, 2020, 10:29 pm

Will be with you both in spirit on 11/21 and maybe in person on 5/15/21 to give thanks and sing farewell with fellow Whiffs. Your love for and support of Dan are beyond compare.

Diana Deacon

October 17, 2020, 10:07 pm

Dan was intrinsically and truly an artist! I thanks him for introducing me to YAC.

Pete Jackson

November 12, 2020, 8:27 pm

I was fortunate enough to hear his beautiful voice at close range, from singing with him in the tenor section of the Vero Beach Choral Society. His wonderful personality will be missed.

Tim Powell

December 3, 2020, 8:17 pm

Dan and I met while working for Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) in the late 1980s. So I saw his serious business side first — at which he was adept, creative, thoughtful and highly competent. Then I became aware that he had this rich deeper side as a musician and artist — as I did too.

I was always glad to talk with Dan about these finer things in life, as we did occasionally at the Yale Club. I’m sorry that I lost touch with him during the intervening years — life can do that. But I was quite fond of this wonderful guy and greatly enjoyed the time we were able to spend together.

Randy houk

March 19, 2021, 10:18 pm

I grew up with Dan, and knew him well over 4 decades. I was fortunate to hear Dave Brubeck, a great friend of the family, play in their house twice. The family was devoted to music always. I am sorry to hear so belatedly that Dan had a lengthy battle with cancer, and that he is gone. He was such a sweet man.

Jim Waterman

July 7, 2021, 2:22 pm

I met you only once, in the beach parking lot at Sea Oaks with Dan. Dan occupies a very special place in my heart. We sang together more than twenty years ago at Round Hill Community Church. At the time, my wife was dying of cancer, and Dan gave me comfort and support in a way I will never forget. In the years that followed, we would see each other on the tennis court in club doubles matches. Dan always won. Dan was a very special man and will be missed by all who knew him.

Leave a Condolence

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How can we help?

Our caring professionals are here to assist you and your family during this difficult time. We are available 24 hours, 7 days a week to assist in immediate arrangements or pre-arrangements.

Recent Reviews

  • The service from Millennium was outstanding. Rachel was sweet, personable and very comforting. It was important to me that my dad was kept locally where I knew where he would be. Very nice facility, state of the art and quality of my fathers remains were so refined compared to my mothers years ago. I highly recommend this place for an affordable choice for your loved one. Thank you for making an already stressful event easy. With high regards, the Esposito and Keith Family.

    Esposito and Keith Family

    Vero Beach
  • Millennium Cremation provided a fantastic service to our family at a difficult time. Our beloved mother passed away in Vero Beach and the rest of the family was in other parts of the country. Due to the Covid health crisis, none of us could get to Vero Beach in person. That's where Millennium took over. They helped us manage everything, coordinated with a cemetery in Maine, managed the obituaries, expedited all the paperwork, and even delivered an important document locally that saved us days. Funeral director Rachel was a godsend, and she made it clear what she was going to do, and what we needed to do. If you know what you want, Millennium is highly recommended, and the savings versus the full service mortuaries is significant.

    M. Cross

    Vero Beach

Direct Cremation Fee Includes

  • Transportation from the place of death to our family owned crematory
  • Basic alternative cremation container
  • Refrigeration of your loved one
  • Cremation performed by our crematory professional
  • Securing all required authorizations
  • Filing the death certificate
  • Notifying social security administration
  • If veteran, filing for free US flag
  • Assisting with newspaper obituaries
  • Cremains are returned to you in a temporary container

Other Fees That May Apply

  • Medical Examiner (fees vary by county)
  • Transportation outside 35 miles
  • Death certificates (fees vary by county)
  • Newspaper Obituaries (fee charged by newspaper)
  • Keepsakes
  • Permanent Urn
  • Jewelry
Skip to content