Theodore (Ted) Allan Yegerman, of Manchester, NH, died on May 30, 2022, Memorial Day, after a prolonged illness. He was born on Sunday, July 4, 1926 at 12:00 p.m. in Brooklyn, NY to David and Esther (Weiner) Yegerman. Esther told her son that he was a July 4 baby, even though his birth certificate reads July 5, 1926. Ted graduated from Eastern District HS in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in June 1943 and was accepted into CCNY, City College of NY, the same year. A year later he was drafted and drafted into the US Army on November 8, 1944. After basic training as an infantry gunner, he was deployed to the ETO, European Theater on Operations, on March 25, 1945. He served in France, Belgium, and Germany, where he was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division. He rose to the rank of Master Sergeant (MSGT). His unit was tasked with occupying and securing the countryside around the Dachau concentration camp shortly after liberation by the Allies and during the retreat of the German Wehrmacht. When American troops liberated the camp, they were appalled and disgusted by what they saw: trainloads of men, women and children abandoned in boxcars – all dead. More than 5,000 prisoners were in the camp, many of various starvation and disease states and near death. General Dwight Eisenhower visited Dachau after the liberation. He ordered all US troops in the area to come to Dachau along with the local German population and “See what we fought for.” He felt that the atrocities committed were so terrible that future generations would not believe them. More than 32,000 prisoners lost their lives in Dachau. MSGT Yegerman was honorably discharged on August 2, 1946 and returned to CCNY. He graduated in 1949 with a BBA with a concentration in accounting. He worked in New York City in the Garment District for David B. Carmel and Company, a sales subsidiary of Arms Textile Manufacturing Co. based in Manchester, New Hampshire. In 1958 it was transferred to Manchester operations to later become part of Manchester’s historic mill yard. When Arms Textile moved to South Carolina in 1961, Ted quit and worked for Manchester Knitted Fashions Inc as 1st VP Assistant to the President. He retired 30 years later at the age of 65. He didn’t stay retired. After various part-time jobs, work became his hobby. At age 95, he was still working at Regional Home Care in Bedford, NH, showing up on time, diligently completing chores, boosting morale among his colleagues, and being an anchor for staff. Ted has never lost his sense of humor or his ability to make friends and make them laugh! He might occasionally forget a name, but he never forgot the punchline of a joke. His mission in life was to raise his grandson Christopher Berger to be an upright young man. Chris went to live with Ted and his wife Ruth Berger Yegerman five days after his birth on Thanksgiving 1986. When Ruth died in 1999, Ted took sole responsibility for his upbringing. Ted and Ruth’s friends became like family and with their help and Ted’s determination, Chris thrived. Mission accomplished. He was a staunch member of Temple Adath Yeshurun (TAY) in Manchester and could often be found at Friday evening services. He was a committed member of the Temple Brotherhood. worked as treasurer for many years. Ted was also a regular contributor to the TAY newsletter and could count on that “Joke of the Month”. Ted was deceased by his wife Ruth Berger Yegerman, daughter Barbara (Yegerman) Desautels, stepson Andrew (Andy) Berger, and stepdaughter Amy Berger. He is survived by son Richard Yegerman and wife Eileen, grandson Christopher Berger and wife Callie, grandson Rory Yegerman and wife Courtney, granddaughter Shoshana (Yegerman) and husband Shane White, and step-great-grandson Avery, granddaughter Cassandra Vachon and husband Cory and two great-granddaughters, Celia and Charlotte Vachon, niece Laurie Pruden, nephew Daniel Farber and many loving and loyal friends. A funeral service will be held at 11am on Friday 3 June at Manchester Hebrew Cemetery, 316 South Beech St., Manchester. In memory and honor of Ted, donations can be made by check to Temple Adath Yeshurun Brotherhood, 152 Prospect St, Manchester, NH 03104 or online at TAYNH.org or to a charity of your choice. Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, Manchester, is helping with the preparations. To send a message of condolence online, please go to www.lambertfuneralhome.com.
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