Berton Vincent Kramer Jr.

Berton Vincent Kramer, Jr., of Herndon, Virginia, passed away on May 1 in his home. He was born July 3, 1952 in Washington, D.C., the son of Berton Vincent Kramer, Sr., and Mary Jansen Kramer, and the oldest of six siblings.

Bert earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the College of William and Mary, and a Juris Doctor from George Mason University Law School. He began his career with the federal government working as a procurement officer, and later joined IBM as a contracts professional. His division of IBM was sold to Lockheed Martin, and he rose to become Director of Contracts for a major division of the company. He retired in 2014 after a 35-year career spanning government and the private sector.

In his retirement Bert served on the Board of Directors for Herndon-Reston FISH, a non-profit organization providing assistance to local residents in need. As a professional, Bert was known as a dedicated and principled executive with a sharp eye for detail and a strong sense of integrity. He gave generously of his time as a mentor and took pride in helping young professionals go on to succeed. He was a sought-after subject matter expert in federal contracting who was often called upon to consult on projects across the company.

As a husband and father, Bert was caring, warm, and genuine. He would do anything for his family no matter the personal sacrifice. His laughter was both frequent and contagious. His favorite pastime in his retirement was spending time with his grandchildren, who adore him. He was an avid and talented golfer, a loyal fan of the Nationals and a not-quite-as-loyal fan of the Redskins.

Bert is survived by his wife, Barbara, and children, Lisa Cochran, Matthew Kramer and Robert Kramer, as well as his grandchildren, Jackson Kramer and Kayla Cochran, and his siblings, Caroline Kramer, Charles Kramer, John Kramer and Thomas Kramer.

In lieu of flowers, friends and family are asked to consider donations to Herndon-Reston FISH in Bert’s honor, http://herndonrestonfish.org/.