George A. Berry III

Born: Dec. 24, 1918; in Chicago
Died: April 16, 2010; in Key Largo, Fla.

ST. CHARLES – George 'Bud' A. Berry III, 91, of St. Charles, died Friday, April 16.

He was born in Chicago to George A. Berry, Jr. and Helen Royer Berry, he was raised in Hinsdale. He attended Philips Academy in Andover, Mass. and was a graduate of Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt., where he was a letterman in football, hockey, and track.

In September 1946, he married his wife, Jane Morton, of Geneva and they had two children, Robert F. Berry and George A. Berry IV. He is survived by his wife and sons, daughter-in-law, Margo, and two grandchildren, Sterling Morton Berry and George A. Berry, a sister, Helen von Dallwitz. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Dorothy Gillespie.

In June, 1935, he began his career at American Terra Cotta Corporation, a company originally founded in 1881 as American Terra Cotta & Ceramic Company by William Day Gates and purchased and reorganized by his father, George A. Berry Jr., in 1935. American Terra Cotta Corporation was a leading producer of architectural terra cotta, working with nationally recognized architects such as Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company is also known for the production of a unique line of art pottery know as TECO Pottery, distinctively associated with many Chicago architects affiliated with the Prairie School.

He was a member of the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1946, where he was involved in the D-Day Invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. He completed his service in England as an adjutant of the 433rd Fighter Control Squadron.

After World War II, he returned to work at American Terra Cotta Corporation, and continued his illustrious career at the company and was instrumental in transforming the company from the manufacture of clay products, which discontinued in 1966, to an industry leader in commercial heat treating and manufacturer of heat treated ground engaging tools for the construction equipment industry. The worldwide company known today as TC Industries, Inc., with facilities in Crystal Lake; Guelph, Ontario, Canada; Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada; and Skinningrove, U.K. The company celebrated their 125th year in Business in 2006 and was honored with the State of Illinois Centennial Award. Although he retired as Chairman in 1984, he remained involved in the company's planning and real estate activities until his death. He authored and published two books on the history of the company, "Common Clay: A History of American Terra Cotta Corporation 1881-1966," and "Bars & Blades: A History of TC Industries, Inc. 1881-2006."

He was president of the Architectural Terra Cotta Institute from 1950 to 1956, director of Structural Clay Products Institute in Washington D.C. through 1966, National President of the Associated Alumni of Middlebury College in 1964, and served as trustee of the Geneva Community Hospital in Geneva for 20 years. He was a member of the Geneva Golf Club and The Chicago Club for 64 years, Chicago Golf Club for 42 years and member of Key Largo Anglers Club, Card Sound Golf Club, and Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Fla., where he has had a winter home for 40 years. During his time in Florida, he pursued his favorite hobby of fishing for the "Big Three" – bonefish, tarpon, and permit.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name may be directed to the Morton Arboretum, Director of Development, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532.

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date in St. Charles.

More information is available by calling Beyer Funeral Home at 305-451-1444.