Donald Bertrand of Middletown, died Wednesday August 9, 2023 at his home in Middletown, New Jersey. He was 82 years old.
He was born in The Bronx on May 5th, 1941, the son of William and Helen (nee Harrison) Bertrand. Donald is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Marjorie (nee Hofmeister) Bertrand; sons Andrew (Lauren) and Matthew (Elena). He was the beloved pop-pop to grandchildren Harper, Tucker, Ethan, and Oliver and the brother of Raymond and the late Marie and Gary.
Donald graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School and Iona College. At 19, he began his career at the New York Daily News, initially working as a copyboy while attending Iona during the day. That career would span five decades including time as suburban editor, coverage of City Hall and overseeing the Daily News’ expansion of their coverage into the borough of Queens. For Donald, the defining moment of this extensive career was coverage related to September 11th and the days that followed.
A devout Catholic, Donald was generous with his time, including decades of service as a parishioner of St. Leo the Great in Lincroft, NJ where he was a eucharistic minister and part of their RCIA program. He also served as the board president for St. John’s Prep in Astoria, Queens, volunteered for the Barn for the Poorest of the Poor and was a dedicated member of the Knights of Columbus reaching 4th degree.
Outside his devotion to faith and his family, Donald had a variety of interests including being an enduring supporter of New York’s Mets and Jets, participating in the Porsche Club of America, and woodworking, including in a very short lived “basement workshop” public-access television show. He was an avid reader and was always looking forward to the latest advances in computers and technology.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, August 12th at 10 am at St. James Church, 94 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ 07701. Burial will follow at Fair View Cemetery, Middletown, NJ.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Barn for The Poor, PO Box 4270, Middletown, NJ 07748 or your choice of charity.
