Obituaries : * James Thomas Bertken; Sportswriter

James Thomas Bertken, a sportswriter for the Daily News of Los Angeles, has died.

Bertken, who was aboard a fishing boat to cover the most significant albacore run in the past decade, was apparently swept overboard early Friday after going on deck to overcome a bout with seasickness. Bertken, 36, was presumed dead after an unsuccessful U.S. Coast Guard search.

Bertken, an avid fisherman who had covered the outdoors for the Daily News since 1989, was looking forward to the trip, according to his wife, Louise Yarnall Bertken, of Van Nuys. “He was like a kid the night before the boat left,” she said. “He called and left a message and he was like, ‘Albacore tuna!’ ”

Born Sept. 14, 1958, in San Francisco, Bertken attended the renowned Ecole’ Notre Dame des Victoires and a Jesuit college prep school before enrolling at San Francisco Community College.

His desire to write led him to Southern California, where he attended Santa Barbara Community College and Ventura Community College.

He soon landed a job writing for the Ventura Star Free Press, which led to his first full-time writing job at the Camarillo Daily News, where he met Yarnall, his wife of seven years. He also worked at the Thousand Oaks News Chronicle before joining the Daily News.

Although he was not an athlete, he was always interested in sports and the outdoors.

“It transformed his life when he got the job as outdoors editor,” said Yarnall Bertken. “He had found his element. Right away he was in touch with every fisherman he could get his hands on. He was in love with his work.”

In addition to his wife, Bertken is survived by his sons, Samuel Thomas and Matthew James Bertken; his mother, Mary Anne Neumayr Bertken of San Francisco; his father, Thomas Galen Bertken of Alameda, and a brother, John George Bertken of San Francisco.

A memorial service will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Michael Landon Community Center, 24250 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu.

A trust fund has been established for Bertken’s sons, ages 4 and 5. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in care of the Daily News, P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills 91365-4200.