Walter E. Berry ’63 died on August 19, 2023, in Bristol, Connecticut.
(The following was provided by Carmon Funeral Home on August 19, 2023)
Walter Edward Berry ’63
Walter was born in Waterville, Maine (May 22, 1941), to Leon B. and Eva M. (Stevens) Berry. He is predeceased by his sister, Constance (Berry) Anderson. Walter graduated from Waterville High School before graduating from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. After college he entered the retail business as a buyer for a company in the NY fashion district. Like his father and grandfather Walter was known for his selfless service to others. His grandfather, Walter W. Berry, was fire chief (1906-1927) and his father, Leon B. Berry, a dry goods shop owner and a police commissioner in Waterville, Maine. After moving to Connecticut in 1971, many knew Walter for his years managing various Sage-Allen / Cherry & Webb stores or applying the same skills as facilities manager of Valley Community Baptist Church (VCBC) in Avon, CT.
Walter died peacefully on August 19, 2023, with his wife, Carol, at his side. He met Carol while working at Sage Allen and forty years later they were married. Her daughters Karen McCarthy and Julie Tedesco, their spouses, and grandchildren (Mason Nozzolillo, Gabriella Nozzolillo, Logan Elizabeth Tedesco, and Tanner Tedesco) were a source of immense joy.
Walter had three children. Jason R. Berry from his marriage to Kathy Anderson Berry (deceased). Jason has two children, Matthew and Rachel, and he and his wife, Angela, live in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. Melinda K. Berry of Watertown, MA, and Michael B. Berry of Plainville, CT, are from his marriage to Linda K. Berry (deceased). Michael has two sons, Tyler E. Berry and Justin L. Berry, also of Plainville.
Walter loved sports and walked to the Bristol little league fields to watch the games. He coached many of his children and grandchildren’s soccer teams and cheered all of them on in competitions ranging from badminton and volleyball to hockey and gymnastics. A New Englander through and through, he was a fan of the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, UConn and, prior to their departure, the Hartford Whalers.
Whether at home, work, or at church, Walter loved to build and fix things. He and his friend Bill Lane were charter members of the Helping Hands volunteer group at VCBC. Walter made furniture, and models of World War II airplanes, tanks, and ships. His love of water and the sea led him to building more watercraft replicas, ranging from a canoe to multi-mast sailing ships. He enjoyed spending time in Maine, most of it at the lake of his youth (East Pond in the Belgrades) and his cottage on Spruce Head Island (South Thomaston).
Walter always was surrounded by pets ranging from dogs and cats to rabbits and fish. His love of aquatics has brought joy to countless children. To his final days he loved his animals and grand pets, Arlo, Scout, Rocky, and Ademar.