Nicholas D. Berry, 62, of Mattapoisett, passed away peacefully on Thursday July 28, 2016 at St. Luke's Hospital surrounded by his beloved family and friends after a courageous fight and brief battle with cancer.
Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, the son of the late Albert E. and Kathleen Z. (Binnington) Berry, he was the youngest of two sons, the eldest being the late Stephen E. Berry of Fairhaven. He moved to the United States as a young boy and grew up in New Bedford, spending the remainder of the life in Fairhaven and Mattapoisett. A graduate of New Bedford Vocational High School, class of 1972, his shop and one of his greatest passions was carpentry.
He was an accomplished carpenter and was often using his skills at home. Nick loved putting his skills he learned to good use, making many improvements to his home throughout the years. From building his first son's baby changing table to renovating a house, he did it all.
When Nick became a Dad, his life became devoted to his children. He was a very committed father; there really is no way to describe how much he loved his two boys. He invested himself in them, teaching them all that he knew, and raising them to become the respectful and knowledgeable man that he was.
As a young man, Nick began his working life at Overhead Door, utilizing his carpentry skills, and then went on to work on the New Bedford waterfront for Delken Coastal Fisheries. He followed his dream, becoming a self-employed carpenter. Soon after, he joined the Southcoast's first Team Concept Cleaning Services, Execumaids, which was founded by his wife 10 years earlier. As president of Execumaids, he continued to build and expand the business during the remainder of his life. He was a member of the New Bedford Chamber of Commerce and the BSCAI.
Nick was one of the wittiest people you would ever meet. He always had a new joke ready for when he would run into you. He loved to see everybody crack a smile; that was the most important thing to him. His patience was matched by none, and he was one of the most humble men around. He was extremely good at Jeopardy, beating the reigning champ to the punch on the daily. His friends often said he should be on the show.
He loved to travel and ride his motorcycle, once driving it coast to coast from Fairhaven to California and everywhere in between in the midst of the 1970's. He also loved the Caribbean and spent some of his best days of his life on the beaches of Aruba, Jamaica and many other islands with his family.
He is survived by his widow, Donna Battistelli-Berry and sons, Alex and Kyler Berry, all of Mattapoisett; many 2nd and 3rd cousins, including Trevor Binnington of Georgia, and others in England; and 5 living aunts and uncles, all in England.
We would like you to celebrate a great man's life with us. Friends are invited to share memories and join in a Celebration of Life on Monday August 22, 2016, from 4-8 PM at the Reservation Golf Club, 10 Reservation Rd., Mattapoisett. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to ORR Athletic Booster Club, Inc./Football, PO Box 1089, Mattapoisett MA 02739 or to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.