Bert Hitchens

Bert Hitchens, 60, of Rancho Mirage, CA died Wednesday, February 20, 2008 from complications of a brain tumor. Bert was born May 24, 1947 in Santa Monica, CA, to Herb and Dorothy Hitchens and was raised in Beverly Hills and La Jolla, CA. He was an Air Force veteran having served in Africa and Italy. A desert resident of 19 years, Bert owned several Triple Check Income Tax franchises in Palm Desert and Cathedral City, eventually converting them into Hitchens & Associates, an accounting, income tax and stock brokerage firm in Rancho Mirage. Bert quickly made friends of his clients and was well-liked and respected within the business community. A loving father and husband, when not running the family business Bert was dedicated to his wife and young son Matthew, who has lost his best friend. Generous with both his time and money Bert always helped clients in need, as well as contributing to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Catholic Relief Services and many pro-life organizations both locally and nationwide. Bert is survived by his wife, Krystine and their son, Matthew, age 10, of Rancho Mirage, CA; son Alex and his wife, Tracy, of New Port Richey, FL; mother Dorothy Hitchens of Escondido, CA; sister Joy Corlett of San Diego, CA; sister and brother-in-law Judy and Gary Geesman of Layton, UT, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his beloved father Herb who died in 1993 in San Diego, CA. A Rosary will be recited for Bert on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at Wiefels & Sons Mortuary in Palm Springs, please call 760.327.1257. The funeral Mass will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Friday, February 29, 2008 at 10:00 a.m., 43-775 Deep Canyon Road at Fred Waring in Palm Desert, followed by interment at Desert Memorial Park, DaVall and Ramon Rd., in Palm Springs. Funeral services are entrusted to Wiefels & Sons Mortuary in Palm Springs, CA. We love you Bert, you will be sorely missed.