Ronald R. Berry

4/16/1942 - 11/10/2023

Old Lyme - Ronald R. Berry, 81, of Old Lyme died peacefully Nov. 10, 2023, surrounded by family at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, of coronary artery disease.

Ron was born in Norwich April 16, 1942, the youngest of five children of the late Alfred and Margaret Berry. He attended Norwich Public Schools and graduated from Norwich Free Academy in 1960, where he was a proud member of the 1959 and 1960 championship baseball teams. Ron went on to earn his B.A. in History from Providence College in 1964. From the University of Connecticut, he earned his M.A. in History in 1966 and his Sixth-Year Degree in Education Administration in 1970.

In addition to sports, work was a big part of Ron's life. During high school and college, he spent summers with his father and his brother, Bud, in the family business, Berry Plumbing and Heating. From 1967 to August 1968, he and his first wife, Pamela Hyland, served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Palau in the Western Pacific. He returned to accept the first of many positions in education, proudly teaching History at Plainfield High School. He later became Assistant Principal at Stafford High School and in 1973, Ron was hired to be the Principal at Milford Area Senior High School (MASH) in Milford, N.H. Ron loved working with high school students and had a knack for relating to them all – from those often in trouble to those often on the Honor Roll. His office had an "open door" policy, and he could regularly be seen meeting with students, usually with his feet up on his desk, addressing the issue of the day. Eventually changes in education and the challenge of pleasing three separate school boards that comprised MASH led him to explore a new option – relocating to his Connecticut beach cottage and establishing his own business.

In 1984, with his wife, Mary Connolly Berry, whom he married in 1981, they established Berry Realty & Remodeling at Point O' Woods Beach in Old Lyme, which has been in business for more than 39 years. Ron was General Contractor, handling all phases of property management, and Mary was real estate agent, handling cottage rentals and sales. Ron loved Point O' Woods all his life and serving the property owners there became a vocation. As resident author Tom Gworek so eloquently wrote in his book Point O' Woods 100 Years from 1919-2019, "Ron and his crew could do most any job, and if he needed help, he knew all the local workmen… He could be seen almost every day driving in and out in his pickup truck, waving hello or stopping to discuss a job. He could be "crusty" at times as he was impatient with anyone who was not sincere or loyal, but he has a "heart of gold" and could never say no to someone who needed help." After work, he enjoyed checking his lobster pots, alongside his nephew and skipper, Michael Walker, and sharing the catch of the day with family and friends. He was an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox, the New York Giants, and Notre Dame football. He loved crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and happily supported the CT Lottery with his regular purchase of CashWord scratch-off tickets.

Ron is survived by his loving wife, Mary; two daughters, Kimberly Wolfe (William Wolfe Jr.), Tamara Bordeau (Joseph Bordeau) and their mother, Pamela Hyland Bugbee; son, Ronald C. Berry (Jesse Siegel); grandchildren, Olivia Wolfe, Becker Bordeau, William Wolfe III, Marisa Wolfe, and Mason Bordeau; sister, Barbara Impellitteri Scannell; sister-in-law, Lucille Berry; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Alfred "Bud" Berry, and sisters, Shirley Stefaniak and Loretta Walker.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at Christ the King Church, 1 McCurdy Road, Old Lyme. Burial will follow at the Point O' Woods Beach Cemetery, 2 Connecticut Road, Old Lyme. Calling hours will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Home, 48 Grand Street, Niantic. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alfred M. Berry, Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund at Norwich Free Academy, 321 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360.