James L. Berry, 73, of Waterloo, died Tuesday, August 31, 2010, at Cedar Valley Hospice Home. He was born January 18, 1937, in Waverly, son of Gerald and Frances Cretzmeyer Berry. He married Mary Gene Floersch on August 30, 1958, in Council Bluffs. She died May 24, 1995. He married Teri Williams on December 27, 1997, in Waterloo. Mr. Berry served in the U. S. Army from 1962 to 1964. He graduated from Waterloo West High School and received his master's degree from Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska.
He was an English and history high school teacher. He was assistant basketball coach and head baseball coach at Creighton University from 1959 to 1962; head boys' basketball and boys' golf coach at Columbus Catholic High School from 1964 to 1969; commissioner of Optimist Baseball, Waterloo, from 1965 to 1969; athletic director, head men's basketball and men's golf coach at Loras College, Dubuque, from 1969 to 1973; head men's basketball coach at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, from 1973 to 1986; athletic director, head boys' basketball and boys' golf coach at Union High School, La Porte City, from 1988 to 1998; head basketball coach at Columbus Catholic High School, Waterloo, from 2000 to 2006; and boys' tennis coach at Columbus from 2004 to present. He also was a consultant to the men's basketball team at UNI from 2008 to present.
Survived by: his wife; a daughter, Kelly (Barry Romick, fiance) VanWyk of Monroe; two sons, Mike (Megan) of Queen Creek, Arizona, and Jeff (Sylvia) of Chandler, Arizona; a daughter-in-law, Sandy Berry of Dubuque; two stepsons, Riley (Traci) Williams of Wichita, Kansas, and Shane (Jocelyn) Williams of Waterloo; a stepdaughter, Sarah (Philip) Medina of Oceanside, California; fifteen grandchildren, Brendan and Cody Berry, Nathan LeGrand, Austin VanWyk, Bryce Romick, Emily, Tanner, and Tyler Lodge, Wyatt Berry, Taylor and Cameron Berry, Clare, Jacob and Hannah Williams and Matthew Medina; a sister, Molly (Pat) Maxwell of Minnetonka, Minnesota; and a brother, John (Marlene) of Greenwood, South Carolina. Preceded in death by: a son, David, on January 31, 2006, and a grandson, Keith Benry.
Services: 1 I a.m. Friday at St. Edward Catholic Church, with burial in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Full military rites will be conducted by Waterloo AMVETS Post 19 and Evansdale AMVETS Post 31, with flag folding by Iowa Army Honor Guard. Public visitation from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at St. Edward Catholic Church, where there will be a 7 p.m. vigil. Visitation also for an hour before services Friday at the church. Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials: may be directed to UNI men's basketball or Columbus High School.
Copyright Waterloo Courier, on-line edition, posted September 1, 2010.