Edwin Carlyle Berry, 89 of Huntington, West Virginia departed this earthly life and began a new life with Christ on September 4, 2010. Mr. Berry passed peacefully under the care of the Hospice House of Huntington. Funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at Beard Mortuary, Huntington. Entombment will follow in Woodmere Memorial Park, Huntington. Mr. Berry was a long time member of Beverly Hills Baptist Church (now New Baptist Church).
Mr. Berry was born in Huntington on January 8, 1921, the son of the late Scott K. and Molly Berry. He survived by his devoted wife of 48 years Reba Snyder Berry. One son, Edwin Kelly Berry (Ruth Ann) of Parkersburg WV, two grandchildren Ryan Kelly Berry of Colorado Springs CO, Amanda Susan Berry of Santa Clara, CA, three step grandchildren Mike Williams (Christa) of Belpre OH, Todd Williams (Norma) of El Paso, TX and Cindy Lynch (Rodney) of Bartlett OH. Great grandchildren are; Jonathan, Kaitlyn and Britni Williams of El Paso TX, Thomas Williams of Belpre OH, Michael and Joshua Lynch of Bartlett OH and Kalena Berry of Colorado Springs CO. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews including Charles David Money (Lyn) of Colorado Springs, Linda Hood (Jeff) of Huntington and others scattered across the country.
Mr. Berry attended Wayne County schools, graduating from Buffalo High School in 1939 where he was an outstanding student and a stellar athlete in football, basketball and track. Mr. Berry entered Marshall College in the fall of 1939, but World War II, a family and the Korean War delayed his graduation with a degree in sociology until 1958. Mr. Berry was a Marshall letterman in track and fondly remembered defeating WVU in the College Division of the Charleston Gazette Relays.
Mr. Berry was an avid fan of Marshall Athletics and a member of the Big Green Club. He served Marshall’s football program for over 30 years as a part of the sideline crew. Upon retiring from the sidelines he continued cheering the Herd first from the stands and later from home. Mr. Berry also dedicated many years as track official at the local, regional and state level.
Mr. Berry left college at the outbreak of WW II, moving to Baltimore to work building bombers for the war effort. He entered the US Army in 1943, being assigned to the 1876th Aviation Engineering Battalion. He saw service with the 1876th in New Guinea, Moritai and the Philippines building airfields and bridges of strategic importance. As part of the occupation forces of Japan his unit was among the first US troops to enter Nagasaki. Mr. Berry ended WW II as a Tech. Sgt. He attended reunions of the 1876th no matter how far away.
At war’s end Mr. Berry started a long career with the US Postal Service. Once again war intervened as Huntington’s 914st APU (Advanced Postal Unit) of the National Guard was called to active duty in July 1950. Mr. Berry was promoted to Warrant Officer I and sent to Korea. In Korea, he had the unique assignment of traveling by jeep under a flag of truce through the battle lines into enemy held territory to exchange mail for POWs. Upon returning to the US he continued in the US Army Reserve rising to Warrant Officer 4 before retiring with over 30 years of service to his country.
After retiring from the Postal Service and the US Army Reserves, Mr. Berry began a third career with WV Department of Human Services offices in Wayne where he worked with the elderly. Mr. Berry was also one of the early members of the Huntington Postal Credit Union (now First Priority FCU) serving for several years as an officer.
Mr. Berry was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Ruth Callison Berry, a daughter Beverly Susan Berry and his sister Thyra Money.
The family is greatly indebted to the following care takers who have lovingly provided for both Edwin Carlyle and Reba:
Pam Taylor, Trenna Carter, Tiffany Fulton, Ellic Taylor, Linda Masterson, Helen Summers, Kathy Midkiff, Alicia Shellhammer, Lisa Bailey, Taleen Watson
Friends may call from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the mortuary. In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorials be made to: Hospice of Huntington, 1101 6th Avenue, Huntington, 25701.