By Nicole Falco
Even as he lay in the emergency room at Franklin Hospital Medical Center after having been rushed there on Sunday following a seizure, Berry told his friend and fellow Rotarian, Bruce Beaver, he still planned to be at every school open house. Berry's dedication to the community and the various clubs and organizations that counted him as a member was unflagging throughout his 61 years in Valley Stream. Berry died Nov. 17. He was 89.
"Even though he was in the emergency room, he still felt an obligation to the community," Beaver said. "If there was an event in Valley Stream Keith was there, be it a Chamber of Commerce activity, Rotary activity or school activity."
Berry's list of community affiliations was long. He was a Rotarian since 1950, first with the Westbury and Mineola-Garden City clubs, and most recently with Valley Stream. He was a past president of the Valley Stream Rotary and also served as district governor of Rotary District 725, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau, from 1991-92. Because of his long and distinguished service with the Rotary, Berry was often called "Mr. Rotary."
Bert Keller, a friend of Berry's for more than 50 years and fellow Rotarian, said, "I think Keith was Rotary personified. He lived, ate and drank Rotary all his life.
"He never declared himself inactive in anyway. He was always a vibrant man," Keller said.
Berry's community involvement did not stop at Rotary. He was a past president of the Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce, and most recently served on its Board of Directors. In addition, Berry served as a village trustee from 1972-78, chairman of parks and recreation in Valley Stream from 1977-79, chairman of Long Island's United States Olympic Committee from 1968-84, president of the Green Hornets Football League, and past director of the Long Island Midget Football League. He was awarded an honorary lifetime membership in the Valley Stream High School PTSA and was a charter member of the Central/Memorial Booster Club.
"Once he got involved in something, he really got involved," said Joe Bergen, a friend of Berry's for more than 50 years. "Keith will be very missed in this town. He was always very interested in the community. I'd give him high marks on that one."
Berry was also a regular usher at the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass at Holy Name of Mary Church and volunteered in the church's Ministry of Consolation.
"You name it, he did it," said Anna, his wife of 65 years. "He enjoyed people and he enjoyed doing things."
Berry, born in Canada, moved to Valley Stream, with Anna, from Springfield Gardens. Coincidentally, the Berrys moved from an apartment owned by a man named "Sheridan" to their Valley Stream home on Sheridan Street -- which is around the corner from Berry Street.
The Berrys actually met when the two took the same bus to and from work each day. After learning that her brother was an acquaintance of Keith's, Anna "got the gumption" to ask Berry to attend a wedding with her. Eventually, the couple wed, and unlike most married couples, they celebrated their Aug. 21 anniversary monthly.
"He always wanted to do that, so I went along with it," Anna said. "He was very romantic."
Berry spent almost three years in the Navy as a young man before joining General Welding Supply Corporation in Mineola, first as a manager and later as corporation secretary and purchasing agent. He also worked for Valley Stream Realty as a sales associate and served as a senior executive loan officer for Hochman Mortgage Consultants Inc.
Berry was constantly active. Whether it was dancing at Village Trustee Joe Zabatta's Oct. 12 wedding to Dorothy Potter, who was Berry's former employer, or bowling on Thursdays and Fridays with his wife and sisters-in-law, Berry never let his 89 years show, though he often bragged about them.
"I knew him over 30 years," said Valley Stream mayor Ed Cahill. "He was a nice man, a perfect gentleman, well spoken. He will be sincerely missed in Valley Stream. He was a true Valley Streamer."
Besides his wife, Berry is also survived by his son, Douglas, and daughter-in-law, Beth, of South Carolina; his brother, Charles, and sister-in-law, Gail, of Florida; a sister-in-law, Margie Anderson, and her husband Eric; a sister-in-law, Florence Keller, and her husband, Ray; a brother-in-law, Robert Heinssen, and his wife, Jane; a sister-in-law, Mary Heinssen; and numerous nieces and nephews. Berry was proceeded in death by his grandson, Michael, and by his brother-in-law, Edward Heinssen.
