Hubert J. "Bert" Breitenberger of Vision Path, West Shokan, died Wednesday July 2, 2008 at Benedictine Hospital in Kingston. He was 73.
He was born February 8, 1935 in Ringoes, NJ a son of the late Jakob and Franziska "Fannie" Muellersberger Breitenberger.
He served in the Marine Corps from 1954 to 1957.
He received his bachelor's degree in history with a minor in literature from Rutgers University and his master's degree from Williams College. For 30 years, Mr. Breitenberger taught history at Onteora High School where he touched the lives and motivated hundreds of students who referred to him as "Mr. B."
Mr. Breitenberger was active in the civil rights movement and taught literacy in Marian, AL in 1965. He was a member of the Catskill Mountain branch of Veterans for Peace. He was a former board member and treasurer of the Resource Center for Accessible Living and served on the NAACP education committee for local scholarships.
He was a voracious reader and scholar and an avid NY Giants and Mets fan.
He is survived by his wife of twenty one years, Sandra Sussin Miller Breitenberger; his son, Laurence Breitenberger and his wife, Stace and their daughter Elyse of Rhinebeck; his daughter Laura Gardner and her husband Frank and their son Brendan of West Park; his foster daughter, Thao Nguyen and her sons, Long and Lance of Aurora, CO; his sister, Evelyn Larivee of Rhinebeck and several nieces and nephews.
A brother, Peter Breitenberger died previously.
A memorial service will be held on July 10th from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at UCCC in the student lounge in Vanderlyn Hall. Friends are welcomed to participate in this celebration of Bert's life. A scholorship fund will be set up in Bert's name for deserving students. Contributions to the fund can be made to UCCC Foundation Office with notation for the Hubert J. Breitenberger Scholarship Fund.