John Robert Berry M.D.

1932 - 2022

John Robert Berry, M.D.

October 9, 1932 - December 28, 2022

John Robert Berry, M.D. died December 28, 2022, at age 90, after a brief illness.

Dr. Berry was born October 9, 1932 in Berkeley, California. His parents were Samuel Harper Berry and Jean Kramer Berry. He grew up in the Bay Area with two siblings, David and Phillip Berry and graduated from Berkley High School. He attended Stanford University (Class of 1954) and Stanford Medical School (Class of 1957). While at Stanford, he met his first wife, Elizabeth Wiley Berry, with whom he had four children. He performed medical internship and residency in Pediatrics at the University of Oregon in Portland. After medical training, he enlisted for two years as a medical officer with a rank of Captain in the United States Army and served in Virginia. Subsequently he moved to Corvallis, Oregon where he practiced Pediatrics at the Corvallis Clinic and Good Samaritan Hospital for 35 years. From 1969-1971 he took a hiatus from his practice in Corvallis to work as a Peace Corps doctor. During that time he and his family were headquartered in Mumbai, India and he worked caring for Peace Corps volunteers around India and establishing outreach programs with local Indian physicians. His first wife, Elizabeth, died in 1995. After retiring from clinical practice in Corvallis, he frequently did foreign aid work in Central America and met his second wife, Shelby Velasquez, who worked as a volunteer medical team translator, while he was doing medical mission work in Guatemala.

Dr. Berry lived outside of Corvallis on 50 acres of farm and woodland for almost 60 years and enjoyed spending time working there on timberland, a large garden, and tending numerous animals. He was a skilled and avid fly fisherman since childhood. A dedicated outdoorsman, he enjoyed hiking and backpacking, particularly in the Oregon Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountains. He was interested in international affairs, had many international friends, and traveled extensively. He believed in the value of education and supported educators and students over the years. He assisted in the development of Head Start programs in Corvallis and on the Warm Springs Reservation. He also enjoyed studying languages and became proficient in German and Hindi. His children fondly remember his exuberant singing in the shower and wrangling of goats.

He is survived by his second wife Shelby Velasquez; his children, Daniel Berry, Katherine Berry, James Berry, Susan Berry Myers; and seven grandchildren.

Services will be deferred to a date to be named later. The family requests any donations be made to the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club.