A comedy veteran in the truest sense of the term, Shelley Berman conquered all forms of entertainment – stage, screen and recordings – in a career spanning seven decades. And yet, he did some of his most memorable work in recent years, appearing as the elderly Nat David, doting father of Larry David, on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (2000- ). Unlike the character he played on the hit show, Berman entered his eighties, still as sharp as ever.

Berman was born Feb. 3, 1926 in Chicago, IL, and from childhood, he had his heart set on the stage. His dreams were interrupted by World War II, during