Helen Jane "Zane" Bergen-Taichert

Zane was born on July 2, 1930, to Helen Sawin and Hugh Guille Bergen in Queens, Long Island, NY.  She and her two siblings grew up in idyllic East Williston, Long Island. There were farms with potato fields, pre-suburban.  Her mother (Norwegian-American) was a math professor at Hofstra University, and her father (Dutch-American) was a tax attorney.  Zane’s father had grown up around horses, and the family kept a few.  Zane’s parents’ horses were large and difficult to manage.  Zane learned to saddle a pony by the age of three.  Her first pony, Crazy Quilt, threw her off on a regular basis.  When she was 16 years old, she was invited to exhibit her hunter-jumper skills at the Equestrian Olympics at Madison Square Gardens in Manhattan.   Zane passed her love for equines on to her daughter Suzanne.  The Bergen family also enjoyed sail boating and swimming.

Zane graduated from Wellesley College (the highly selective women’s liberal arts on a beautiful campus, west of Boston, MA in the early 1950’s, with her BA in Liberal Arts.   She spoke and read French.  She then worked as a “junior staffer” Assistant Editor at Glamour Magazine.  She was a real “clothes horse,” with a good fashion sense. She was introduced to her future husband, Robert D. Taichert , on a blind date (introduced by a fellow Harvard student, Jack Eastham) at a co-ed dance for Harvard/Radcliffe.  She received a business/accounting degree from Radcliffe College (associated with Harvard College).  Her husband Bob served as a Junior Grade Lieutenant in Naval Intelligence during the Korean War.  Zane and Bob were married on Guam in 1954.  Zane described gecko lizards running up and down the walls of their living quarters, much bad weather but happy times.

Zane’s business/accounting skills were useful in helping Bob to sell his parents’ five “Taichert’s Stores” in Santa Fe and around New Mexico, when his father Dan passed away of a sudden heart attack at age 59.  Bob became a successful attorney, practicing in Albuquerque (for Rodey and other law firms), and also in Phoenix, Arizona (for Lewis & Rocca).   For 20 years they lived in the North Valley of Albuquerque.

Zane is survived by her younger brother Peter Bergen of Port Washington, Long Island, NY and her older sister Louis Ann Abbott of Framingham, MA.

She is also survived by her two loving children, Suzanne and Peter Taichert.   Two of Zane’s three grandchildren (Hope and Lily) live in Albuquerque and are attending UNM.  Her eldest now-grown grandchild (Rane Honablue) lives in Hillsboro Beach, Florida.  She is also survived by many other relatives.

Bob and Zane enjoyed traveling around the world, visiting Mexico, South and Central America, Iceland, Russia, England, Scotland and Israel.

After obtaining her Master’s Degree from UNM, Zane obtained her PhD in 18th Century English Literature, from the University of New Mexico in 1976.  Her children remember her late nights spent at the Brother Electric Typewriter, struggling with correction fluid, rewriting drafts.  She was fascinated by the time period of the 1700s, and would read poetry and passages from novels to the family from Swift, Pope, Johnson, etc.  She wanted to write novels, but sadly, never found the time.

Zane taught Freshman English at UNM in the 1960’s.  Later she was employed as a technical writer at Sandia Labs.  She was an active volunteer with the Junior League, and helped her husband to initiate the legal papers for John Crosby to found the Santa Fe Opera.  She also volunteered with the NM Symphony and the Heard Museum as a docent, where she was given a Director’s Award in 1987. When Suzanne was a child, Zane assisted with the local Brownies and Girl Scout troops.

Zane encouraged her children to read, study music, be creative, as well as to care for  highly valued family pets.  She was a long-time member of Cathedral of St. John’s.  She completed an EFM course in Ministry in 1993.  She was a member of The Tuesday Literary Club and Gracenotes, a piano duet group.  She really enjoyed her time with these interesting women.

Once her children were grown, Zane continued riding/showing dressage horses in Albuquerque and Scottsdale.  She and her “horsey” friends drove their horses in trailers to events in Colorado, encountering some challenges on the steep roads!  She was an avid pianist and a  master gardener.  Zane enjoyed sharing meals with her friends and loved her son Peter’s excellent cooking,  which she taught him while Suzanne practiced the piano.  Suzanne’s daughter Rane is also a gourmet cook, thanks to her Grandmother Zane.

Zane had a quick wit and was known among her peers as “a tough cookie” and a “real go-getter.”

Zane and Bob moved from the North Valley, to the Montebello Assisted Living Facility for a few years until Bob passed away in 2013.  Zane moved to the Woodmark at Uptown, where she lived for five years, acquired many friends and had some good times.  In late July, she moved to a smaller ALF.  The family would like to thank all of the dedicated healthcare professionals who assisted with Zane’s care in the last seven years, after a brain injury in 2011.  We especially appreciate the owners and staff of “A Love for Life” and the dedicated staff/doctors from “Hospice of New Mexico”.

Zane died peacefully with her son Peter present, after a few weeks of difficult pain and cherished time spent with family and attentive friends.  She was loving and patient to the end.  She lived a good, full life, for which we are grateful.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John, in downtown Albuquerque.  (1st day of Balloon Fiesta).  Reception will follow at Kaseman Hall, at the church.   The address is 318 Silver Ave., SW, ABQ 87102.  There is free parking in the lot adjoining the south side.  There is also paid parking structure on the north side.

In lieu of flowers, take a friend or loved one to a meal and raise a glass for Zane.   One can also donate to the Cathedral of St. John (especially the Music Ministry and Homeless Outreach), the NM Philharmonic, or to equine charities.