Jim Bergman Obituary

James "Jim" Bergman, 76, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed on to the cosmos on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 after a valiant battle against a recent stroke, Alzheimer's, and various cancers.
Jim was a 1967 graduate of Creston High School before serving in the US Army from 1968-1971 during the Vietnam War. Upon Jim's return home he sought a journeyman's card in electronics and later, tool and die. He put those skills to use working for Dexter Lock and Benteler Automotive.
Photography was one of Jim's passions, having his own dark room and showing his daughter how to develop photos they took together. A true music lover, Jim amassed a vinyl record collection so big it could double as insulation for his house. He also restored jukeboxes-because why stop at playing music when you can have a whole glowing machine do it for you? He enjoyed his classic rock listening with his loyal cat(s) Puff in his lap.
Over the years, Jim could reliably be found at car shows with his beloved 1970 Chevy Impala convertible (which he's owned since 1971 and, frankly, was in better shape than most of us). He was also a regular at coin trader shows, record shows, and garage sales, where he somehow always spotted a "treasure" no one else noticed. More recently, he could be found at his favorite restaurant, Russ', where he was on a first-name basis with both the servers and the ice cream.
Jim will be remembered for playing his radio just a little too loud, telling stories with a contagious laugh, his unwavering loyalty to Diet Coke, recording the news as though he were single-handedly preserving history, and for making popcorn that-according to family legend-was better than movie theater popcorn.
Jim will be dearly remembered by his daughter Andrea (Dan) Seres and her mother Noreen Pleasant; grandsons Isaac, Asher, and Merrick Seres; his sisters Bonnie (Mike) Fischer and Betsey Bergman; niece Meredith Fischer and nephews Nick Fischer and Dyllynn Crews; brother-in-law Don Crews; longtime friend Tim Kelsy; and companion Sheila Anderson. He is preceded in death by his parents Helen and James Bergman and sister Mary Crews, all of whom are likely welcoming him with open arms-and maybe telling him to turn that radio down just a notch.
A celebration of life will be held at Reyers North Valley Chapel, 2815 Fuller Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505. Visitation will be Thursday, September 25th from 5pm-7pm and Friday, September 26th from 11am-12pm, followed by a service at noon and light luncheon. Private burial will take place the following Monday. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Humane Society of West Michigan or the American Cancer Society.