Donald Bertrand died Aug. 9, 2023, at his home in Middletown. He was 82 years old.
He was born May 5, 1941, in the Bronx, the son of William and Helen (Harrison) Bertrand. Donald is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Marjorie (Hofmeister) Bertrand and 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 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 fourth 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.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Aug. 12 at St. James Church, Red Bank. Burial followed at Fair View Cemetery, Middletown.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Barn for The Poor, P.O. Box 4270, Middletown, NJ 07748 or your choice of charity.
This article originally appeared in the August 17 – 23, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
