Bertha ‘Berdie’ Kaye Pime

April 5, 1922 - September 12, 2022

SAN DIEGO, CA—

Our beloved Berdie, matriarch, mother, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother, was surrounded by her family up until her passing on September 12, 2022.

Berdie began her

100 year life journey in Chicago, Illinois as Bertha Forman on April 5, 1922. She lived with her Russian immigrant parents, grandmother, and beloved two older brothers, Jake and Willie, in Chicago until she was 18 years old. Berdie was blessed with ‘movie star’ good looks which were complemented by her smarts. She possessed a brilliant intellect, skipping two grades in school and graduating high school at the age of 16. She met her husband Harry Kaye at 16, but wasn’t permitted to marry him until she turned 18.

Berdie left home at 18 to marry Harry Kaye of Chicago, a successful salesman in the plumbing industry. Berdie and Harry moved to the suburb of Skokie, IL where they raised three children, Sharon, Richard (Rick), and Debra, alongside her brother Willie’s kids, and many of Harry’s siblings’ kids as well. Berdie and Harry enjoyed 34 years of marriage before Harry passed.

Berdie and Harry loved to travel and enjoyed many cruises and trips together. Berdie became a travel agent and started her own travel agency after Harry’s passing, and spent the next 10 years traveling the world with friends and clients.

Berdie married Fred Pime of Chicago after 10 years of being single, and the two of them wintered in Rancho Bernardo, CA for many years to be closer to Berdie’s two daughters in San Diego. Berdie and Fred moved to Rancho Bernardo permanently in 1993, where they made dear friends and played bridge, golf, and poker together. They were married 24 years until Fred’s passing.

Berdie was actively involved in the stock market and pursued her passions of investing and playing bridge and poker until her final days. She consistently beat her friends at bridge and poker and everyone always marveled at her skill. She regularly kept in touch with her many friends and large family on Facebook and her iphone and lived a very independent lifestyle – even at 100!

Berdie was always the matriarch and glue of her family, keeping everyone in contact, taking care of everyone, and always remembering birthdays and anniversaries. She credited the secret to her longevity to being involved in her children’s and their families’ lives, and she always maintained a positive attitude despite living through hard times after the Depression, WWII and the tragic deaths of her two older children.

Berdie’s largest source of pride and joy was her large family. She outlived both of her husbands, Harry and Fred, and two of her children, Sharon and Rick, and is survived by her daughter, Debra, (La Jolla) daughter-in-law, Ellen (Detroit), many nieces and nephews, 10 grandchildren: Lisa (Berkeley) Susie (San Diego), Michelle (San Diego), Marty (Kim) (Detroit), Joel (Jen) (Scottsdale), Ben (La Jolla), Heather (Adam) (Chatham), Laura (Mike) (La Jolla), Katie (Joe) (Costa Mesa), and Marisa (Nick) (Detroit).

Berdie is also survived by her 15 greatgrandchildren: Lauren, Reid, Nicole, Elijah, Leora, Zachary, Jacob, Harlan, Shira, Riley, Olivia, Demi, Drew, Atticus and Vivian.

We will all miss her calls, emails, hugs, wisdom, and special spaghetti and latke parties.

Berdie was laid to rest at El Camino Memorial Park in San Diego on September 16, 2022.

Donations may be made in her honor to City of Hope.