Jeffrey Berg is the first death in the Eden Prairie Police Department

Officer Jeffrey Berg of the Eden Prairie Police Department died May 6 at age 50.

“It’s not supposed to happen this way,” said the Rev. Greg Snow at Berg’s memorial service Monday at St. John Lutheran Church in Chaska. “He faced death every day.”

The Carver resident had battled cancer for some time before his death, taking leave from his job with the Police Department about a year ago, but “he was not going to give up,” Snow said.

Berg was remembered as a kind, gentle spirit, a family man who didn’t ask for special attention.

“Our department is really going to miss him,” said Eden Prairie City Manager Scott Neal. “He was a kind man ... He’s someone that I think if you asked people who came into contact with him through the years, that’s the word that would come to the top of their description of Jeff.

“He was someone who was a good leader for our young officers and really was good at exemplifying what we wanted to show our public in terms of service. That we’re here to preserve the peace and to help them in any way that we can. Jeff did that in a marvelous way and we’re really going to miss him.”

Berg is actually the first Eden Prairie Police officer to die since the department started.

“The department started in 1973 and actually everyone who has been an officer here is still alive,” said Chief Rob Reynolds. There have been 108 Eden Prairie Police officers.

“To be an organization since 1973 and not have one of those members pass away, that’s a little unusual,” Reynolds said.

He said that Jeff was proud of being a police officer for 21 years. The department brought squad cars down for the service and almost every officer, records clerk and 911 dispatcher in the department attended, according to Neal’s blog. Officers from the State Patrol and Hennepin County were also present.

Berg was scheduled to receive a Career Achievement award yesterday from the Police Department, in part for his steady, positive attitude. The award is given for consistent and superior performance of duties.

“Jeff was extremely dedicated to his job,” Reynolds said. “He came to work every day genuinely excited about what he did. He always had a calm demeanor. He showed great attention to detail.”

Reynolds pointed out that Berg received the department’s highest honor, the Award of Valor, in the mid-1980’s.

“We had a gas tanker rollover on the highway and Jeff was creative enough to kind of design a barrier out of debris he found,” Reynolds said. “And he was able to get close enough to the tanker to grab hold of the driver and pull him to safety.”

Berg was a patrol officer and was assigned to the investigations division in the later part of his career. He served with the department’s Domestic Abuse Response Team, a special group that contacts victims of domestic abuse a few days after it is reported to follow up.

“I think it’s important that people know that Jeff fit into an organization where service is our backbone. He took great pride in public service,” said Lt. Greg Weber of the department.

“Even during his illness,” Reynolds said. “When he was well enough to be walking around, he’d come into the office and actually apologize for not being at work.”

He is also remembered for his strong Norwegian heritage in the department, where he was nicknamed Sven, Reynolds said.

“He was one of those personalities that everyone in the department likes,” he said. “It was impossible not to like Jeff Berg. He will be greatly missed by everyone around here.”

Gary Stevens of the Eden Prairie Crime Prevention Fund said that one of the original Eden Prairie Police officers, Jack Hacking, was at the funeral.

Stevens described Berg as, “One of those really engaging individuals. Even if he pulled you over and gave you a speeding ticket, he did it with a smile on his face. He was one of the good guys.”

Berg is survived by his wife Rhonda (Gentz) Berg, their daughter Jordyn CarinaRose Berg, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews.

Memorials are directed to Pheasants Forever or Ducks Unlimited. His ashes are to be scattered at the family farm.