Robert Glen Berry May 13, 1943 - September 15, 2024

Robert Glen Berry, aka Bob, was born during World War II, on May 13, 1943, in Tooele, Utah. He was born to Glen William Berry and Betty Ladean Allsop (although he was almost three years old before meeting his dad when he finally returned home from the war). Affectionately known as “Skip” within his family circle, Bob spent those early years living next door to his Grandma and Grandpa Allsop and Great Grandpa “Baba”. Bob was his Grandpa Allsop’s shadow, where he learned to fish – a pastime he enjoyed all his life.

At eight years old, his family moved to Tacoma, Washington, where the people were much different than his relatives back in Tooele. Changing houses three times in four years, his parents became his strength and support. He loved fishing with his dad on the pier near their house, and inherited a fondness for pouring cement from his mother. However, when he turned 12, his Dad, was selected for a military assignment in Verdun, France, where the family lived for the rest of Bob’s childhood. While there, his family forged a close bond, creating his fondest childhood memories as they camped together all over Europe. It was also there that Bob learned to speak fluent French and gained his appreciation for French cooking and fine cuisine. Later in life his family would lovingly joke that with Bob “it’s all about the food”.

Bob graduated from the Verdun American High School for Military Dependents, then shortly returned back to the States where he played a year of football for the University of Utah, later attending University of California at Berkeley, as it was close to where his parents were living at the time.

His college education was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army on September 16, 1966, and headed to basic training at Fort Lewis in Washington State. He then went to clerical training at Fort Ord, California, and Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. At Fort Belvoir, Virginia, he went to Officer Candidate School, which made basic training look like a walk in the park – forever changing his life, values and understanding of leadership. Ultimately, he was sent to the Vietnam War, where he was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Battalion of the 25th Infantry Division in Cu Chi. He extended for a second tour – in part to ensure that his younger brother who had also been drafted, would be safer stationed in Korea rather than Vietnam – and was assigned to the 222nd Personnel Company of the 44th Medical Brigade. He completed his service with the rank of what today would be considered a Sergeant. He was honorably discharged on April 20, 1969.

Having frayed nerves by the time he made it home from Vietnam, he bought a boat and spent each morning that summer decompressing while drifting idly across a lake, dragging a fishing line. He later gave credit to his boat, which he loyally owned the rest of his life, for reducing his war stress symptoms and cushioning his return to civilian life. During this time, he developed a mind picture of the direction he desired for his future. This direction led him to Brigham Young University where he met the love of his life, Diane Louise Herron, whom he described as a “beautiful, young, intelligent, saintly girl with a great sense of humor and adventure”.

Bob and Diane were married on July 31, 1970, in the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Together, what they desired most was to create a good home for their four daughters. For Bob and Diane, happiness was helping with homework, supporting their girls in activities such as horseback riding, dog training, music and sports, and just watching their girls grow into women of distinction. They rarely ever missed one of their girl’s concerts, shows or games!

They raised their family by Lake Desire in Renton, Washington. To support them, Bob worked long hours for United States Customs. He started as an inspector and worked up to management. He worked out of the Sea-Tac International Airport and on the Seattle, waterfront ports, clearing international arriving vessels. While he dutifully worked long and hard, he always made time for his family. As time went on, he loved and supported his 23 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren with the same dedication and devotion he had always shown his daughters. One granddaughter said, “He always loved so big” and “made most everything exciting” and another granddaughter added, “I love how invested he is in all of his kids and us grandkids’ lives. He always knows what’s going on and who performed where and what’s happening in all our lives.”

For him, family always came first.

He knew how to work hard, but he also knew how to play hard, and enjoyed fishing, hunting, sports, poetry, writing, creative cement pouring, gardening & yard work, plays & musicals, concerts, dancing with Diane, and later in life, golfing. He had a passion for the outdoors, fall colors and scenic drives. He was a self-proclaimed “incorrigible optimist” and as his niece recently observed, “he led with his heart in everything he did”. He was strong and resilient. He took everything straight on and didn’t hold back. He quietly performed random acts of kindness and service that touched many hearts. While he wasn’t presumptuous or bossy, his family came to seek and rely on his wise advice. Bob loved people, he loved learning the stories of a person’s life, where they came from and what they experienced and accomplished. He would start up conversations with people wherever he went. To him, strangers were simply friends he hadn’t yet met.

Bob’s love for people extended beyond the grave, and as faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he shared with Diane a passion for Genealogy. Together they served consistently in Family Search Centers in Renton, Washington, Price, Utah, and Payson, Utah, over a span of 30 years. While family history work could simply be the recording of the birth and death dates shown on a gravestone, Bob and Diane’s focus has always been the “dash in between”. They searched for, learned, loved and shared the life stories of their family members going many generations back. We are convinced that when he graduated from this life and entered the next, he was greeted by an army of his grateful kin!

In his own words, “I am joyous that there is a life after this. The belief that I shall see my parents and ancestors again, brings me happiness. Many of my quiet thoughts and activities are acts of honoring them and their lives. It delights me to contemplate how fortunate my life has been. I spend very little time thinking of things that might have been, only of the wonders that have been. I believe in my heart that life is good. Simply put, many blessings have come my way. For them, I am grateful to God.”

All of our lives are better because of him.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, brother Charles Brent (aka Cork), and sister Kay Lynne.

He is survived by his wife, Diane Herron Berry; his brother Raymond Berry (Joy Lavern); his daughters Jennifer Berry Chiara (Sam Chiara), Lisa Berry Jackson (Michael Jackson), Kimberley Berry Washburn (Ephraim Washburn) and Heather Berry DeMille (Alma DeMille); his grandchildren Giovanna Chiara Worley (Connor Worley), Kenneth Chiara, Paul Chiara, Abrianna Chiara, Tasha Jackson Anderson (Ryan Anderson), Kaleah Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Caleb Washburn (Ana Marin Washburn), Josh Washburn, Ben Washburn, Lydia Washburn, Eve Washburn, Anna Washburn, Amileah DeMille Crawford (Dalton Crawford), Van Dale DeMille (Rachel Bocanegra), Anna DeMille Zavala (Devyn Zavala), Elijah DeMille (Camila Fuenzalida), Dariel DeMille Black (Carver Black), Sage Jackson, Logan Jackson, Kai Jackson, Daniel DeMille and Dillon DeMille; his great-grandchildren Gavin Worley, Elaine Worley, Lucy Anderson, Quinn Washburn, Owen Crawford, Madilynn Crawford, Axel Crawford, Wesley DeMille, Jamie DeMille, Kimberly DeMille, Sophia Zavala, Andrew Zavala, Miles Zavala, Rose DeMille, Henry DeMille, Gideon Black and Bennett Black.

The viewing for Robert Glen Berry will be at the LDS Church building at 259 E Alpine Dr, Elk Ridge, Utah 84651 on September 20 at 9:30 a.m. with a memorial service to follow at 11:00 a.m.