Timothy Berry

1948 - 2025

Famous for his bean salad, butterscotch oatmeal cookies, and his short-shorts, Timothy Robert Berry, passed away peacefully on October 7, 2025. A Helena, Montana native, Tim was grateful to be in his Seeley Lake home surrounded by the people, mountains, and deer that he loved. He valiantly fought four cancers before reuniting in heaven with the love of his life, Sandra Jude (Thompson) Berry.

Tim was a proud Eagle Scout and Helena High School graduate who was offered a coveted appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. However, before he graduated high school, he met and fell in love with Sandy while she was caring for his ailing mother as a nurse's aide at St. John's Hospital. Midshipmen at Annapolis cannot be married, so Tim declined the appointment. Instead, he enlisted in the Navy in June 1966 and married Sandy that September, while on leave after boot camp – a decision he never regretted. Tim and Sandy were stationed at Naval Air Station Memphis, Tennessee, followed by Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas. Their first child, Timmy, was born in Kingsville. Tim joked that Sandy must have really loved him, because she was pregnant and raised an infant/toddler without air conditioning in the sweltering Texas heat.

After three years, the Navy saw Tim's officer potential and released him to attend college. He returned to Montana to study at Montana State University, where Shelley and Wendy were born. Tim earned bachelor's and master's degrees in environmental engineering and continued his military service as a Navy Reserve Seabee until 1982. The family lived in Helena where Tim enjoyed a distinguished career as a Professional Engineer at Morrison and Maierle with Candice, Michael, and Casey arriving as added bonuses. Tim took his kids and grandkids to see his engineering projects. Wastewater treatment plants weren't their favorite, but several were impressed by his municipal water towers supporting communities as far as Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Tim retired in 2011 after serving as an engineer for 38 years.

Tim was passionate about community service. He filled in as a Scout leader and took his children to Rotary Club luncheons to encourage their interest in giving back to the community. In retirement, Tim joined the Seeley Lake Lions Club, serving as the President from 2016-2017. He loved spirit missions to "raid the bell" of other Lions Clubs and learn their best practices to make Seeley's organization even better. He worked with the Seeley Swan High School to establish the Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity (LEO) Club to inspire the next generation. Countless people speak highly of Tim's character and his actions. He delivered crock pot meals, built ramps and insulated homes for veterans, chopped firewood for families, offered his camping trailer as temporary housing during emergencies, offered respite care for caregivers, and donated generously toward Medication for the Needy, St. Jude's, and multiple veterans' organizations. For his efforts, he was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award.

Tim could build or fix anything - structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing - literally anything. All you'd have to do is describe the problem, and he'd walk you through the solution or, most likely, just come fix it for you. On the slim chance he didn't immediately know the solution, he'd research it until he was an expert. His brilliant mind loved learning. He encouraged his children to learn also, though asking for his help was an adventure. A math teacher was confused when one of Tim's children announced that the teacher's answer was wrong because it "didn't account for friction or gravity" and showed him a 12" x 8.5" dot-matrix printer page filled with Tim's diagram and notes. It was only seventh-grade math.



Tim was happiest being with family and friends in the great outdoors. A member of the Seeley Lake Drift Riders, he relished snowmobiling through Seeley's winter wonderland and the post-ride meals with a Moose Drool or a Cold Smoke. Summers were filled with hiking and water sports. The Glacier Lake hike was his favorite, pausing to pick huckleberries and let his dogs play in the creek. On the lake, he was the "Captain of this Ship" boating, waterskiing at 0600 when the lake was like glass, towing grandkids during "extreme team" tubing with his laughter echoing across the lake when he dumped them, canoeing down the Clearwater Canoe Trail, kayaking, and much to his family's chagrin sunbathing in a Speedo. Again, Sandy must have really loved him. He also loved his 1966 Chevy truck, sharing jokes, Taco Tuesdays, Saturday phone calls to his children, crepes, Sunday morning breakfasts with a Caesar, and sitting outside in Wendy's backyard with multiple puppies.

Sandy always said, "It takes all kinds of people to make the world go 'round." She and Tim always cherished and encouraged the unique, unreproducible miracles of God that are their children, grandchildren, and great grandson. They are survived by Tim Jr. of Helena and his children Marlee, Riley, Maggie, and Jack; Shelley (Dave) Hodne of Austin, Texas and their children Taylor and Matthew; Wendy of Libby; Candice Hanks of Missoula and her children Sierra and Hayden; Michael (Deanna) of Bozeman and their children Tyson and Zachary; and Casey (Tony) DaSilva of Helena and their children Tori, Ava, Olivia, and Isabella. Tim is also survived by his siblings Terry (Rick) Itami of Liberty Lake, Washington; Robert Berry of Olympia, Washington; and Colleen (Dave) Simkins of Helena. He is preceded in death by Sandy, his parents Robert and Joyce Berry and his sister Margret Mazurek.

A memorial service to celebrate Tim's and Sandy's lives will be held at a later date in Seeley Lake, where family and friends will gather to share stories, honor their legacy, and remember lives well-lived. Tim's burial service will be at the Fort Harrison Veterans Cemetery in Helena.