Christopher E. Bergner

Christopher Eric Bergner, 54, of Waukesha passed away Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at VITAS
Ruth House Hospice in West Allis after over a two year courageous battle with stage 4 colorectal and
liver cancer.
Chris was born November 4, 1968, in La Porte, Indiana to Kenneth and Carole (Rosenberger) Bergner.
He graduated from Sun Prairie High School in Sun Prairie, WI, and Madison Area Technical College with
an associate degree in culinary arts. He worked at many prestigious Wisconsin hotels including the Heidel
House Hotel & Conference Center, The Springs in Spring Green, the Kalahari in the Dells, and the Green
Bay Radisson. Chris was privileged to cook many pre-game meals for the Green Bay Packers while at the
Radisson. During his chef career he met several famous people including Brett Farve, Reggie White,
Crystal Gale, and Wayne Newton. While working as a chef, Chris gave up spending time with his family
during the holidays but always made time for them. After working as a chef, he decided to take time for
himself by fishing. As luck would have it, he met a local fisherman who was a car salesperson at Wilde
Honda in Waukesha. This chance meeting changed Chris’s career trajectory to focus on selling new cars
for Wilde Honda in Waukesha for almost 20 years.
Chris was an avid fisherman, who loved trout fishing in streams throughout Madison and the Driftless
Regions of Wisconsin. His love for fishing began at the age of two when his grandfather, Don gave him
first fishing pole. He was privileged to go on fishing trips with his friends and family including his
beloved uncle, Richard, and his dad. He had a great love for animals, which became evident when he and
his wife adopted JoJo from Elmbrook Humane Society. The first time Chris met JoJo she came running to
him as if he were her long lost dad. They were forever bonded after that moment, and he was her dad and
“person.” While a young kid, Chris spent his summers in Michigan visiting his grandma Thelma (known
by Chris as Little Red then later as GG) and step-grandfather Merrill fishing, helping in the garden, and
playing cards. His cousins would visit during his summers in Michigan to create amazing memories
fishing. He loved sports especially pro and college football and baseball. His favorite teams were the
Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and the Chicago White Sox. Chris had a quiet, positive, loving
demeanor and focused his energy on those he loved (family, friends, and pets).
Anyone who knew Chris would speak of him as a kind, selfless, sweet man who looked out for others
before himself. The mold was broken when Chris was born.
Chris is survived by his wife, Liz of Oak Creek, parents- Kenneth and Carole Bergner of Bailey’s Harbor,
sisters- Janet (Eric) Hanson of Sun Prairie and Mary Ellen (Dale) Keller of Lakewood; nieces- Erica
(Allyson) Keller of Charlottesville, VA, and Meghan (Francis) Keller of Dhaka, Bangladesh; his great
nephew and his beloved pets- Gigi, Nairobi, Matty and JoJo. He is further survived by his aunts, uncles,
cousins, and friends.
We would like to thank the oncologists, physician assistants (Kristin and Abbey), nurses and palliative
doctor (Dr. Kelly Cooke) at the UW Cancer center in Pewaukee for supporting and loving Chris during
his treatment. A special thank you to the late, Dr. Hamid Sadati for his honesty, compassion and
knowledge while treating Chris’s cancer. Dr. Hamid Sadati’s impact forever changed Chris’s life by
giving him an additional two years with his loved ones and friends. Chris’s cousin, Carrie played an
integral role in his life towards the end. She provided comfort, love and shared her medical knowledge to
allow Chris to be comfortable during his transition. He was very blessed to have such an amazing friend.

Services will be held Sunday, November 5 th at the Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church (11836 WI-42
Ellison Bay, Wi) with visitation at noon followed by the service at 1:00 PM.

An additional Celebration of Life will occur locally at the Wern Valley Sportsman’s Club, S36W29657 Wern Way Waukesha, Wi
53189, November 11th from 6:30pm to 11:00pm.
In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate money in Chris’s name to the American Cancer Society
https://www.cancer.org/, VITAS hospice https://vitascommunityconnection.org/ , St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/ or your local humane society.

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