Vacations With the Children
Joseph John Berry, a man who left big tips and who once urged a nervous friend to go through with her wedding because "marriage is a wonderful thing," simply hated the idea of a vacation without his three children. Never mind that they are all grown now, with the youngest 21 and the oldest 27. Whether it was a trip to Italy or one of their annual pilgrimages to Aruba for New Year's Eve, "our children came with us," Evelyn Berry said. "All three of them. All the time. Wherever we go, whatever vacation. To this day, if we're going away they're there with us.
"How many children do you know who spend every New Year's with their parents?"
To Mrs. Berry, who would have celebrated her 32nd wedding anniversary next month, this is the essential fact of her husband's life ‹ not the honors he collected as one of the most influential Irish-Americans on Wall Street, or the professional status he enjoyed as chairman and co-chief executive of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, an investment banking firm, but the fact that he also coached just about every team his children ever played on, from soccer to basketball.
"If anything, we were more in love today than when we first got married," Mrs. Berry said.
Mr. Berry, 55, who worked on the 89th floor of 2 World Trade Center, died on his wife's 54th birthday.
"The fact that he's gone is the greatest pain," she said. "The day it happened is immaterial."
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on October 17, 2001.
BERRY-Joseph John. Of Saddle River, N.J. Joe was a victim of the World Trade Center tragedy. Beloved husband of Evelyn. Cherished father of Joseph Scott, Todd Patrick and Kimberly Ann. Our family and community have lost a person of great integrity, generosity and unbridled love for his fellow man. His children have lost their mentor, best friend and guiding light in all things. His wife has lost her partner, her best friend, her love. Joe was a man that always had a smile on his face and his family was his first priority. We are grateful to have had such a man in our lives and his spirit and philosophies will live through us and guide us always. Joe grew up in Woodhaven, Queens, attended Molloy High School, received his BA in Economics and Math from Queens College and his MBA from St. John's University. He was Chairman and Co-CEO of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., an investment banking firm headquartered in the World Trade Center. For the last two years, Joe was honored as one of the top fifty Irishmen on Wall Street by Irish America Magazine. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 12:30pm on Saturday, September 22 at St. Gabriel's Church, 88 East Saddle River Road, Saddle River, NJ. No flowers please. Donations are requested to the Joseph J. Berry Scholarship Fund, Archbishop Molloy High School, 83-53 Maton Street, Briarwood, NY, 11435, attention Brother Richard. 718-441-2100
