Timothy Jon Berchin

July 28, 1959 - April 20, 2020 We regret the passing of a kind and gentle soul – a flame that went out too soon. He lived his life with kindness and concern for others. A graduate of University High School in 1974, he attended UC Santa Cruz and UCLA. Unfortunately, he developed a mental illness at the age of 19, which became the main challenge for him and his family. He was an active member of the Boy Scouts and went on many hikes, including climbing 85 miles to the summit of Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S. He earned his lifesaving merit badge, for which he was very proud, one test of which required great swimming skills. He left scouting with the rank of Life scout (he was pretty smart). He was also on the track team while in high school. As a boy, he visited Europe with his family, visited Hawaii on numerous occasions, and stayed in Mexico with dear family friends who live in Mexico City. His death occurred on April 20, from respiratory failure. He is survived by his mother, Marion, and his devoted brother, Jeffrey. He will be interred at Forest Lawn Glendale. Donations can be made to Narsad, an organization that funds research on mental illness.