Heinrich E. Beernink

Henry Beernink passed away in December 2015 after a long, full life. Born in 1928 to physician parents, he and his identical twin Ferdinand grew up in the Netherlands. Their life abruptly changed as teenagers with wartime invasion during WWII. The twins were avid tennis players and rose to Dutch top-10 national rankings after the war. They attended medical school at the University of Leiden in Holland. They moved to the US in 1952, enlisted as Army medics, and were stationed in Germany during the Korean War. After returning to the US, they completed their residencies in OB/GYN, became Adjunct Professors of Medicine, and then practiced together in Berkeley and Pinole for over 40 years. Henry married Jo Ann Fearheiley in 1957 and they raised four children. Together they orchestrated the building of their lovely home in Berkeley, as well as a vacation home in Truckee. Henry pioneered the Lamaze method in Berkeley and successfully lobbied to get smoking banned from Alta Bates Hospital. He co-produced and acted in two childbirth movies and was a leader in infertility treatment. He never complained about the obstetrics night calls and brought upwards of 10,000 babies into the world! He was an avid member of the American Medical Tennis Association, Claremont Club, NN Club, Berkeley Tennis Club, and later the Claremont Country Club. Henry excelled in everything he set out to do, a devoted husband and father, fine physician and surgeon, and superior athlete in tennis, skiing, golf and sailing. He also loved animals, music, gardening, and the genius of Dr. Seuss. Henry is survived by his wife Jo Ann and their 4 children, Ernest, Amy, Peter, and Bruce, and 5 grandchildren. The twins passed away 40 days apart at age 87.

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