written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation
There are very few leaders in the Kansas City area who have had such a positive influence on our community as Bert Berkley. We want to take a moment to tell you about how Bert and his family have impacted the Johnson County Library.
Please take a moment to read his obituary which lists the amazing accomplishments of one man. Bert passed away in mid-July at 101 years young.
Bert and his wife Joan, who died in 2012, were committed to many, many non-profits and outstanding organizations in both Kansas City and Johnson County. Joan was a volunteer leader three times for the Library – for her service on the Library Board, Friends Board, and the Foundation Board. Only four other people have completed this volunteer accomplishment – the Triple Crown.
In the 1990s, in the early days of the Johnson County Library Foundation, Joan and Bert were encouraging and asked their friends and peers to donate to the Library’s fundraising campaigns. It was one of the boosts the Foundation needed to start an endowment and to support library programming with private funds.
After Joan passed away, Bert continued her legacy by establishing the Joan Berkley Writer’s Fund at the Library Foundation. This fund has assisted local writers by offering programming to further their creativity, including the Library’s Writer’s Conference. This annual gathering engages hundreds every year in person and online. It continues to be free and open to the public thanks to the generosity of the Berkley family and friends. In 2023, the Writer’s Conference created their annual journal and anthology to highlight Bert’s love of fly fishing by using “fishing” as an artistic prompt.
On behalf of everyone at the Johnson County Library – patrons, staff, volunteers, donors – we thank Joan and Bert, and the entire Berkley family, for their love of lifelong learning and public service. Your dedication to the Johnson County Library is one of the reasons our library system is one of the best in the country.