Robert Ellis Berry

BERRY

ROBERT ELLIS BERRY

Robert (Bob) Ellis Berry, beloved husband, father and brother, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2022 at the age of 92.

Bob was born in Mobridge, South Dakota on May 2, 1930 to Rose and E.Y. Berry. His sister Nila followed four years later. He grew up in McLaughlin South Dakota where his parents ran a newspaper and his father E.Y. served as mayor and a state legislator. Bob attended the University of South Dakota earning a BA in business and then a law degree. He served for two years in the Army rising to the rank of First Lieutenant. In 1950, his father E.Y. was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and moved the family to Washington, DC where Bob eventually followed, after practicing law in Lemmon South Dakota for several years.

Starting in 1958 Bob worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Karl Mundt as a legislative aid until 1965 and then was counsel for the Senate Government Operations Committee until 1971. During that time he met Marilyn Kirsch, who worked in his father's Congressional office. Bob and Marilyn were married in Rapid City, South Dakota on November 24, 1962. Daughter Nancy was born in April of 1964; son Brian followed in July of 1966.

In 1971 Bob was appointed to be one of the two Reading Clerks of the House of Representatives, a position he held until his retirement in 1987. In 1987 he became a lobbyist for the American Gas Association (AGA) where he worked until his full retirement in 1997. Post retirement Bob and Marilyn spent many wonderful years traveling the world. Bob also volunteered as a docent at Gunston Hall, happy to be able to share his love of history with people.

Bob was a life-long student of history, a fascination which he passed on to his children. He revered the history of Washington DC and never turned down an opportunity to take visiting relatives on tours. In retirement he dove into the family genealogy and became acquainted with newly discovered distant relatives while always maintaining relationships with the numerous known family members. A perpetual extrovert, there were two types of people in his life, friends, and friends he had yet to meet.

Bob and Marilyn were longtime member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, having joined the church in 1966. Bob was also a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).

Bob is survived by his beloved wife Marilyn, daughter Nancy (David Moore) son Brian (Melody Berry) grandchildren Valerie (Clint), Alex (Jane), Greer, Cate, Victoria, and Livy, five great-grandchildren; sister Nila (John McCracken) and many other relatives who all loved him immensely.

Services will be held on October 29, 2022 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Bob's name to Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 1301 Collingwood Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22308 or to any local dog rescue.

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