Jeffrey Bierig Obituary

Many years after Jeff´s passing we are privileged to still have a friendship and relationship with Jeff´s family. What a treat to see how his children have been affected by Jeff and Linda´s influence. We miss him dearly. The Sullivans of Harbert, Michigan.

Dear Family and friends of Jeff,

I learned of Jeff's passing the day of his service and wasn't able to attend.

We both worked at WIND Radio at different times years ago, and I got to know Jeff shortly after. We kept in touch all these years, seeing each other often at the Trib Tower where we both worked, and I had an opportunity to do a couple of projects for him at IIT last fall. We got together for lunches around that time and talked about all the things we wanted to do.

I just wanted you to know that I think of Jeff often and still feel his presence, as I'm sure you do. I'm hoping his energy, warmth and wit will continue to inspire us and those who follow in his path.

Dear Linda and Anika,

I just learned of Jeff's passing last night at the fundraiser I hosted in memory of Keegan (which marked 2 years yesterday). I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear this news. I know how difficult the loss of someone you love can be, as I struggle through each day without Keegan.

Your family was an important part of Keegan's early life and I will never forget that. I will always have fond memories of Jeff.

Our Deepest Sympathy,

Kim Hoffmann & Family

Thanks to Jeff, Eli's Cheesecake had the opportunity to participate in the 150th Anniversary of the Chicago Tribune.

Through his energy, enthusiasm and vision, Jeff created a spectacular event for the Tribune and Chicago.

Jeff had that special spark and work with him

All of us at Eli's Cheesecake mourn his loss.

I have been out of town since 6/23 and just learned of Jeff's passing. I am deeply saddened and wanted to extend my condolences to Linda and the family. I knew Jeff for two decades (and we even discussed starting a firm together in the early 1990s). He mentored me while we served together on the PCC Board. I never had a chance to tell him how much he meant to me. He always had a smile on his face, even in times of adversity. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

MY PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU AT THIS TIME . REMEMBER THE GOOD TIMES YOU ALL HAD TOGETHER.

SINCERELY
MARGARET GEHLBACH
SETON FAMILY HEALTH CENTER

Dear Bierig Families,
I was so saddened to hear about Jeff succumbing to his very long battle.
We grew up together on the Southside...grammar school, hebrew school, carpools, etc..
He was a great kid, good friend and kind-hearted soul, and although we lost touch, he touched my life as it seems he did many others.
May all of your fond memories of Jeffrey help you through these difficult days.

I was out of town until yesterday and saw the obit in the Tribune. My deepest condolences to the family. I worked with Jeff at Martin Janis and recall that he was a consummate professional and a really, really great guy with a good sense of humor. Although we lost touch over the years I believe that if there had been any need for advice or suggestions, Jeff would have been more than happy to share. My deepest condolences to the entire family and to all his friends and associates.

Dear Linda and Family, I'd like to express my sincere sympathy over the loss of your husband. My heart goes out to you and your family. You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. I'm very sorry for your loss.

Love, (Heidi's best friend) Vicki

Linda and Family- You are in our thoughts and prayers. I will always think of Jeff fondly for several reasons 1) as best friends with David and Jill-you guys did so much together to really live life and to share your passions of music, theater & the shere joy of togetherness 2) He taught David to golf - need I say more of his patience and generosity and 3) You both were there to share in our last two Super Bowl victories! Jeff was my SB secret weapon! May you be sustained by his warmness and the richness of your wonderful experiences.
John & Carla Stewart & Family

I knew Jeff at WIND when I produced the Dave Baum show. When I left, Jeff took over. He always seemed to know everything about everything, but the one thing I particularly remember is that he told me about a great store -- sort of a predecessor to T.J. Maxx. Silly, I know, but I loved it! Imagine my surprise 30 years later when I was talking to my sister Nancy, and she mentioned her boss -- Jeff Bierig. Jeff and I reconnected by email, and it was really good to catch up.

Jeff was a really fun and genuinely nice guy who will be missed.

Dear Linda -

It has been too long since we have been in touch but we wanted to express our deepest sympathy at Jeff's passing.

I was looking through our wedding photos on our 30th anniversary a few weeks back and saw your picture. Life took us in different directions not too long after that but you have both fondly crossed our thoughts over the years.

We are so sorry to hear of you loss. He was always so much fun to be around "back in the day". I don't imagine that changed much over time!

Please accept our condolences as you move forward without him.

I had the pleasure of knowing Jeff through the Publicity Club of Chicago. He was a warm and witty man. I know he will be missed by all that knew him.

My thoughts are with his family during this time.

My thoughts and prayers are with you. I really appreciated it when Linda was able to attend my grandmother's funeral this past March, even though Jeff was in the midst of treatment.

Our deepest condolences,

Suzanne Albin Tucker & Family

Rest in peace my dear childhood friend.

My thoughts and prayers to you and your family. Although I hadn't seen him in many years. I remember babysitting for Jeffrey. My heart is truly saddened. May G'd bless all of you.
Love from Your cousin, Josette

Dear Linda and family,

Please accept our heartfelt condolences. Jeff and I worked together way back when at Martin E. Janis & Co. We talked over our shared cubicle wall, which was against the rules! We wrote gag releases late on Friday afternoons. We made the best of those early career days. Jeff was a consummate professional, a devoted husband, and then such a proud father. I am glad to have known him and am better for it.

So sorry to hear of your family's loss. I worked at the Chicago Tribune during the time Jeff was there and enjoyed talking with him from time to time about music and the concert scene. He was a wonderful person.

Jeff was very kind to me when I first came to WIND Radio. For one thing, he helped me find a place to live, advising me on the best Chicago neighborhoods and which areas to avoid, as I was new to the city and basically clueless about all that.

Later, Jeff took the time to drive me all around Chicagoland. He spent hours telling me things I needed to know about the area, and about the radio station.

Jeff was someone I felt I could always go to for the straight scoop on things. When I later left WIND we lost touch, but years later we connected again. He hadn't changed a bit, still the same wonderfully nice guy. It's obvious from reading the comments here that many others felt the same way.

Jeff was an honest, funny, straight shooter with great taste in music. Jeff you will be missed, I'm glad I got the chance to know and work with you. My condolences to the family. Kristine Pasto

To the Bierig Family,

I knew Jeff as we earned our way through college by selling shoes at Joseph's. Jeff stood up for me at my wedding - he had our engagement announced on radio July 12, 1974. Unfortunately we lost touch a few years after that and I can see how much we lost by not being a part of your lives. My wife Shelli and I mourn his loss and send you our best wishes.

First I want to give my heartfelt condolences to his family and close friends.

I met Jeff more than three years ago as a member of PPC. Aside from his deep and genuine warmth, his ability to listen, he was always went out of his way when asked and extended himself in many ways to the people around him.

His professional career is both exemplary and noteworthy as was his continued work in PR as a PCC Board Member.

While we only saw each other at meetings or events, Jeff is a person I shall miss so very much.

Jeff was my colleague at IIT, and like so many others have said here, I thought he was talented, funny, and so kind. To his family, I am deeply sorry for your loss. I miss him, and I will remember him.

Dear Linda and Family,

My deepest sympathy goes out to you. Jeff and you are in my prayers. I worked with Jeff at the Trib for a lot of years. We also spent some time together at WIND radio in Chicago I had the utmost respect for him. He was a true professional as well as a kind and courageous person.

Sincerely,

Tim Stacy

I'm glad I found this link on the Chi Town Radio site. Jeff was one of the most classy and true-hearted people I ever had the pleasure of working with. My condolences to not just his family, but all of the lives he touched.

To all Jeff's friends and family,

Jeff was one of the kindest, most gracious media pros in Chicago. When he was at the Tribune (and I wasn't), he was always helpful in getting me the information I needed from of the Tower. When I joined him at the Tribune, he was the friendliest, most compassionate of colleagues. After he left Tribune, I'd see him at every civic and professional conclave I attended, supporting educational and charitable efforts across Chicago's media landscape.

I'll miss his warmth, his empathy, his smile.

We're all diminished by his absence.

Jeff and I worked together a number of years ago. He was a great person. We lost touch over the years and I am so sorry to hear about his passing. He worked as a consultant at a company that I also worked at and we often would go out and have lunch and reminisce about the challenges facing us "older" media professionals. He was always a professional and a great person. He will be missed. My condolences to the entire family.
Ray Hanania

When I was a young intern, Jeff Bierig trained me for my later work with Dave Baum and many others. Those were the glory years at news-talk WIND, with Dave Baum, Clark Webber, Norman Mark, and Eddie Schwartz all under one roof. Jeff was the creative spirit that sparked the best work out of Chris Wittig and many others who shared that cramped producer’s office. Who’s to say if it was Jeff’s creativity or Dave’s unflappable on-air genius that made “Contact” a hit for years in its early evening time slot.

I remember Jeff fondly -- and with long curly hair.

I only worked with Jeff for a brief time (before I moved out of state), but in even that short span it was obvious Jeff was an absolute pro -- and with a delightful sense of humor. My sincere condolences to his family and his many friends.

Dear Linda and Family,

I am so sad about the passing of Jeff. I had been praying with all of my heart that he got well and returned to work; but most importantly that he got his health and strength back. I can not express the depth of my sorrow, but I want you to know that I am truly sorry for your loss. I want you to know that he loved his family so much. You have experienced love that will be carried on for a life time. God Bless and take care.

Jeff is simply one of the finest men I've ever known. He loved his life and all who were part of it, most especially Linda and his children. Anyone who had any dealings with Jeff could not help but be struck by his warmth, his intelligence, his kindness. The world needs more men like Jeff. His passing diminishes us all.

Jeff Borden, Chicago

Dear Jeff's Family: I sympathize with all you are feeling at having lost such a wonderful person from this life. Jeff was president of the Publicity Club of Chicago when I first became active with the organization. I've known him a number of years and have always had the utmost respect for him, a friend and gentle man.

Dear Linda and Family;
Please add our condolences concerning Jeff's death. I worked with Jeff in the 1970's when he produced my radio talkshow on WIND. I remember him as a kind and thoughful man who worked hard at his craft.

Clark & Joan Weber

Linda and family,
No words can express how much Jeff will be missed in the Communications office at IIT. He not only became a great leader, but a wonderful friend. So many great memories of Jeff that can bring us all only a hint of his great smile. He will be truly missed.

Love, Denise Moriarty

Jeff was a gentleman and a real professional. He will be greatly missed by all of his colleagues in the Chicagoland communications community. My deepest sympathy to his family and friends.

Linda, We are so saddened to hear of your loss. You and Jeff stand out in our minds as the most exceptional of persons--very kind, considerate, and respectful--even to the people that you've hired to work for you. I'm grateful to the Sullivan's for introducing us and wish so badly that there was something I could say or do to help you at this time. You are certainly in our thoughts and prayers and we will continue to remember you in the weeks and months ahead.
Bill and Rebecca Conway, New Buffalo, MI

An e-mail address can tell you a lot about a person. My cousin Jeff’s said it all: PRJEFF. As in Public Relations Jeff.

Jeff Bierig was his father’s son. And just as his dad, Arnold Bierig, was a born salesman, Jeff Bierig was a natural public relations man. Indeed, for 22 years, he mastered the toughest PR assignment imaginable—putting a positive spin on life with cancer.

Through all the treatments and hospital stays, PR Jeff never complained. And if, on the inside, he worried, he never let his concerns create fear in those around him. He smiled. He lived life. He loved life. He accentuated the positive. He sought solutions to the negative. He faced the situation head-on. He made the most of the hand he was dealt. He never deceived himself or anyone else. A true public relations pro.

Before going further, let’s put aside the traditional misconceptions about those who work in sales and public relations. In the eyes of many, a good salesman is a fast talker who can "sell an igloo to an Eskimo." He’s a slick operator who can get us to buy something we either don’t need or really can’t afford. To those same people, a public relations man is a spinmeister, making us believe things that might not be true, or see things that might not exist.

As a salesman, Arnold Bierig looked out for the best interests of his customers, getting his clients to like him, trust him and listen to him. The strategy created a win-win situation, for both customer and salesman. PR Jeff did the same in his field--looking people in the eye, providing answers, telling the truth. In business as in life, he made the most of the hand he was dealt--accentuating the positive . . . trying to find solutions to the negative . . . in every case, meeting the situation head-on.

During my years as a sports writer, I met countless media people who knew Cousin Jeff. “What a good guy!” they would exclaim. Or, as one of his colleagues so aptly described him a day after his passing, what a “mensch.”

Jeff never was bent on purusing fame or fortune. Professionally, he was rich in credibility, developing lasting relationships with seemingly everyone he met. Like his father, he was devoid of pretense, pomposity or ulterior motives. He was eminently likable and eminently trustworthy. I was proud to be identified as his cousin.

On the personal side, he found wealth in nurturing a loving family—a great wife, Linda, and two wonderful children, Alek and Anika. I can’t imagine a better husband or father. Diagnosed with lymphoma in his mid-30’s, Jeff was determined to do what we all should--make every minute count. Being there for his family . . . Taking trips with his wife . . . Witnessing all of his kids’ events and milestones . . . and, yes, playing every hole of golf that he possibly could. Over the years, Jeff and I grew increasingly close, joined by our unrequited love of a game that neither of us could come close to mastering. It didn’t matter, though. Our worst day on the golf course always beat our best day in the office.

The legacy of PR Jeff, loving husband, father and brother, cherished cousin and friend, is that he took on the toughest assignment life can hand us--and he never flinched.

To Linda and family,
As a friend of Vicki and Mike, I have always heard wonderful things about Jeff...what a terrific father and husband he truly was. Our deep condolences to you and the children during this difficult time. May the love of family and friends bless you and give you some comfort as you all gather to celebrate Jeff's life and legacy.

An e-mail address can tell you a lot about a person. My cousin Jeff's said it all. PRJEFF. As in Public Relations Jeff.

Jeff Bierig was his father's son. And just as his dad, Arnold Bierig, was a born salesman, Jeff Bierig was a born public relations man. Indeed, for 22 years, he mastered the toughest assignment imaginable--putting a positive spin on life with cancer.

Through all the treatments and hospital stays, PR Jeff never complained. And if, on the inside, he worried, he never let his concerns create fear in those around him. He smiled. He lived life. He LOVED life. He accentuated the positive. He sought solutions to the negative. He faced the situation head-on. He made the most of the hand he was dealt. He never deceived himself or anyone else.

Before going further, let's put aside the traditional misconceptions about those who work in sales and public relations. In the eyes of many, a good salesman is a fast talker who can "sell an igloo to an Eskimo." He's a slick operator who can get us to buy something we either don't need or really can't afford. To those same people, a public relations man is a spinmeister, making us believe things that aren't true, or see things that don't exist.

As a salesman, Arnold Bierig looked out for the best interests of his customers, getting his clients to like him, trust him and listen to him. The strategy created a win-win situation, for both customer and salesman. PR Jeff did the same in his field--looking people in the eye, providing answers, telling the truth. In business as in life, he made the most of the hand he was dealt--accentuating the positive . . . trying to find solutions to the negative . . . in every case, facing the situation head-on.

During my years as a sports writer, I met countless media people who knew Cousin Jeff. "What a good guy!" they would exclaim. Or, as one of his colleagues so aptly described him a day after his passing, what a "mensch."

Jeff never was bent on purusing fame or fortune. Professionally, he was rich in credibility, developing lasting relationships with seemingly everyone he met. Like his father, he was devoid of pretense, pomposity or ulterior motives. He was eminently likable and eminently trustworthy. I was proud to be identified as his cousin.

On the personal side, he found wealth in nurturing a loving family--a great wife, Linda, and two wonderful kids, Alek and Anika. I can't imagine a better husband or father. Diagnosed with lymphoma in his mid-30's, he was determined to do what we all should--make every minute count. Being there for his family . . .Taking trips with his wife . . . Witnessing all of his children's events and milestones . . . and, yes, playing every hole of golf that he possibly could. Over the years, Jeff and I grew increasingly close, joined by our unrequited love of a game that neither of us could come close to mastering. It didn't matter, though. For both of us, our worst day on the golf course always beat our best day in the office.

The legacy of PR Jeff, loving husband, father and brother, cherished cousin and friend, is that he took on the toughest assignment life can hand us--and he never flinched.

Linda and family,
We have lost a wonderful neighbor and friend. We always admired what a loving, caring Father and husband Jeff was. We have all been blessed by knowing Jeff. Please let us know of any way we can be of help.
Love, The Sullivan's