Scott Berry

Thomas Scott Berry, 67, died on September 7, 2020 in the loving and grateful presence of his family. The second son of Charles and Lounora Berry, Scott lived his whole life in Columbus. He and his family were lifelong members at St. Paul’s Episcopal church, where Scott served as an acolyte and crucifer.  A competitive athlete, Scott particularly enjoyed and excelled at swimming, tennis, horseback riding, and skiing. After graduating from Stephen D. Lee High School in 1971, Scott studied at Southern Miss and Mississippi State before employing his talents and competitive spirit in his family’s business, Johnston Tombigbee, where he developed his aptitude and love for sales and travel.

 

When JTB fell into hard times and shut its doors, Scott and his brother Reau developed a business plan and secured the financing to reopen the company and resume furniture manufacturing operations. His ability to revive the company, thereby providing as many as 1,000 jobs and contributing to the strength of the local community, gave Scott great pride and joy. His entrepreneurial spirit and love for traveling helped him to cultivate a profound understanding of the import/export furniture business, through which he later began a new company, T.S. Berry Sales. Scott’s business travels took him across the world to Brazil, Guatemala, Honduras, China, India, Russia, and Vietnam, where he developed strong friendships and successful import/export ventures. A chance encounter in a Shanghai hotel in 1994 led to a cover story in the Business section of The New York Times featuring Scott and his innovative import ideas. While he relished the work and travel that took him far from home, two of his most favorite trips were a family camping and horseback riding trip in Montana and a camping road trip in Alaska with a longtime friend.

 

Following his career in furniture, Scott set his sights on a local project: the development of the abandoned Lee High School into a mixed-use building. Over the last few years of his life, Scott successfully transformed the classrooms of his alma mater into unique and modern apartments. His boundless vision for other spaces in the project included an event venue in the auditorium and a restaurant in the former cafeteria. Scott looked forward to a time when the corner of Military and 18th Avenue would regain the vitality and energy of its former days.

 

Beyond the pleasure that he garnered from his tireless work, Scott received his greatest fulfillment from his family and friends. In particular, he cherished his role as “Poppy” and “Paw Paw” to his six grandchildren and took it upon himself to give his band of “Yahoos” as many experiences as he was able. The Yahoo adventures took Scott and his crew near and far: to the bowling alley, the skating rink and the indoor pool at MUW, to Lake Tuscaloosa for water skiing, to New Mexico and Colorado for snow skiing. He made sure they had the opportunity to learn how to ride horses and play tennis. He particularly loved feeding his insatiable band of grandchildren and reveled in watching them gobble up everything he concocted. On any given weekday, they could be spotted ransacking the MUW cafeteria on Poppy’s ticket. The Yahoos could always count on Poppy to sneak them a piece of candy or allow them to steal a lick of pancake batter while he served up endless blueberry pancakes. His spirit, vitality and imagination will inspire us to adventure and look for opportunities in every corner and down every road of this life, which he himself lived so indomitably.

 

Scott is preceded in death by his mother, Lounora “Poochie” Johnston Berry and his son, Taylor Scott Berry. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Taylor Berry, with whom he treasured nearly 45 years of marriage and partnership; his father Charles E. Berry of Columbus; his aunt, Jerry Johnston Gadol, 3 brothers: Charles Russell (Jane), Jerryld Reau (Kelli), and Edward Duke (Laura Beth); 2 daughters Rebecca Berry Scott (Clifton) and Julia Johnston Markle (Russell); and six grandchildren: Nora Ruth Scott, Alliene Davis Scott, Clifton Thomas Scott, Julia Tate Scott, Johnston Land Markle, and George Coleman Markle.

 

A private funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, officiated by Father Jason Shelby. Following the service, Scott will be interred in the Church’s columbarium. Honorary pallbearers will be: Butch Crouse, Keith Thomas, George Irby, Jeff Turnage, Robert White, Gene Imes, Eric Fiedor, Charlie Pilkinton, Dr. Clifton Scott, Russell Markle, Larry Crink, Dr. Jack Reed, Frank Wall, Chuck Kaufman, Wilbur Colom, Aubrey “Dynamite” Silvers, and John Cox.

 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Scott’s most treasured local charity, the George “Happy” Irby Christmas Fund, P.O. Box 9292, Columbus, MS 39705.