Steven H. Berger: Reader of
Encyclopedias
Steven
H. Berger may have seemed daunting to some people. He was
a supervisor of corporate tax auditors at the New York
State Department of Taxation and Finance. On top of that,
he knew a little about everything. His wife Susan says he
always got the answers right on "Jeopardy" and "Who Wants
to Be a Millionaire."
To Ms. Berger, her husband was a good man who enjoyed
the everyday things of life.
Mr. Berger, 45, was a big reader of encyclopedias when
he was not rooting for the Dallas Cowboys or working on
his cooking. At the office he was known as Emeril, a
reference to the well-known Food Channel chef. He was
ribbed for taking his leftovers to work.
He pampered his daughter, Melissa, 12, and they did
many things together, including raking leaves and
shoveling the snow. He was also the repairman around
their New Jersey home.
Mr. Berger also loved his job. He spent almost four
hours a day getting to and from his job at the World
Trade Center, his wife said, who is an auditor for New
York city. "He was pleased by little things," his wife
said. "He did not need any of the big things that some
people do. He loved working in the Trade Center. He had
the view of the city."
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