Connie M Berry

Connie Ruth Berry passed away on March 31, 2012. She was a Las Cruces resident since the summer of 1970, when her husband returned from a tour of duty in Viet Nam, and the family moved from California to Las Cruces. She is survived by her daughters Daphne S. Berry and Michelle Berry Robbins, son-in-law David Robbins, sisters Esther and Marty, and numerous nieces and nephews. Connie was preceded in death by her husband Charles R. Berry, and her father Graaf Leonardus de Blocq van Scheltinga "Leonard", mother Apollonia Johanna "Jennie", siblings Leonard, Daniel, Eva, and Jeanne. On a sunny winter day in 1918 Connie was born in Berkley, California. She and her six siblings grew up in a multi-lingual household. Mother Jeanne spoke fluent Russian and German, and her father Leonard spoke fluent Dutch, German, English, French, and Portuguese. The children spoke English among their friends and German in the home as it was the parents' common language. Throughout her youth Connie studied dance and acrobatics channeling her talent into a career as a professional dancer. She was a member of The American Guild of Variety Artists and performed with a dance troupe in San Francisco. She attended California State at Berkley earning an Associate's Degree in Biology. She worked as a chemist's assistant for Foremost Dairies. In 1951, Connie sailed on the luxury oceanliner Leilani to the US Territory of Hawaii. She lived at Fernhurst Residence Center and worked as a bookkeeper. It was in the Paradise of the Pacific where Connie met her husband Charles Berry. The couple was wed in 1953 and Connie and Charles traveled the globe for 18 years living in Texas, Maryland, Alabama, Arkansas, Germany and California. When her daughters were young, Connie volunteered as a Brownie Troop Leader in El Paso, Texas. She taught her troop how to make grass skirts and do the Hawaiian hula dance. Her first home in El Paso wasn't far from the railroad tracks and Connie, ever kindhearted, made triple-decker sandwiches for hobos passing through. Hobos were the homeless people of that era who traveled the country by railcar. While living in Germany, Connie shared her secret recipe for spaghetti sauce with the owner of a local guesthouse. The establishment, Paul's Gasthaus, began a tradition of serving spaghetti dinner every Thursday night. Within a few weeks, Thursday night was the busiest and most profitable night for the Gasthaus. After moving to Las Cruces, Connie won a prize and published her recipe for pecan crusted coffee cake made from Mesilla Valley-grown pecans. She was a member of Pilot International and served in many capacities with the club including Club Treasurer. She also was a member of Silver Lining Service Club where she formed many lifelong friendships. Connie's talents were myriad and she could perform acrobatics well into her 70s. To the amazement of her friends, she could do headstands, cartwheels and walk on her hands. Connie will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Aloha' till we meet again. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, April 6, 2012, at Getz Funeral Home with Pastor Steven Loy officiating. Interment to be held at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery, El Paso, Texas, at 2:00 PM, Monday, April 9, 2012. PDF Printable Version