SHARE

John J. Berry, Jr., 71, Longtime Westport Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 36

WESTPORT, Conn. - Jack J. Berry, Jr. of Westport died Saturday, Feb. 8. He was 71.

Jack J. Berry, Jr.

Jack J. Berry, Jr.

Photo Credit: The Daily Voice/Contributed

Berry was born Aug. 27, 1942, in Cambridge, Mass. He grew up in scouting, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 13. As he went through Matignon High School and graduated from Boston College, he continued to work with scout troops in the Boston area. He entered the Army in 1964, where he was a first lieutenant and commanding officer of a Mobile Data Processing Unit. He had a 43 year career at IBM starting out as a systems engineer.

He received his M.S. in Administration from George Washington University in 1974, and became media marketing manager for the IBM/ System 390 Division in 1991. He ended his career in analyst relations at IBM Global Finance before retiring in 2010.

He started out his scouting career in Westport as cubmaster of Pack 192 in the early 1980's and took over as scoutmaster of Troop 36. In addition to his troop, he led the Connecticut Yankee Council's Contingent to 6 National Boy Scout Jamborees, including inviting international Scouts from Japan, Scotland, Poland and several other countries. For the last six years, he has served on the Connecticut Yankee Council Board of Directors, most recently serving as the vice president of Program where he has been responsible for all of the programs in the Council.

Berry is survived by his wife, Sally; daughter, Lori (Garth) Landers; son, Christopher Berry; two grandchildren; brother, Robert H. Berry; sister, Judy Gully; three godchildren; many cousins; and nieces and nephews.

Calling hours are Thursday, Feb. 13 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, in Fairfield Center. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, Feb. 14 at 10:30 a.m. directly at St. Luke Church in Westport. Interment will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery in Fairfield.

Donations may be made in Berry's memory to the Jack Berry Jamboree Scholarship Fund, c/o Connecticut Yankee Council, 60 Wellington Rd, Milford, CT 06460.

to follow Daily Voice Westport and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE