Grady V. BerryJanuary 14, 1934 - August 29, 2017VisaliaIt is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband and father. Dad entered the kingdom of heaven on August 29, 2017. He was born on January 14, 1934 to his parents, Samuel and Lydia Berry, in Arkansas. The large family moved to California when dad was young. They settled in Orosi, then later Visalia. He graduated from Orosi High School, and fell in love with a classmate, Lara Johnson. Shortly after graduating, they married on August 1, 1953. Earlier this month, they celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary. Dad was drafted into the Army, and served at Fort Ord, El Paso, TX, and in Germany. Upon release, he worked constantly selling cars in Tulare, while also earning his Bachelors and Masters Degrees at California State University, Fresno; all while living with mom in Orosi. He was quickly hired at Mt. Whitney High School where he taught everything from freshman algebra to calculus. After school each day, he went to his second full-time job, selling cars at the former Quality Cadillac in Visalia. His energy was endless and he truly enjoyed teaching. They were joined with the birth of Tami (Berry) Loftis in 1959, and with Michael Berry in 1969. His teaching career lasted 35 years, and he continued to substitute teach during his retirement years.He was an amazing husband, father and dedicated Christian. Dad thoroughly enjoyed football, gardening and barbecuing for his family. In earlier years, we had many road trips to Wilsonia (Kings Canyon Forest) with close friends. So much fun was always had by all!He is survived by his wife, Lara, daughter and son-in-law, Tami and Patrick Loftis, Tulare, and his son, Michael Berry of Austin, TX. He also was the proud grandfather of 5: Tara Loftis, San Francisco; Summer Loftis, Beverly Hills; Jill Loftis of Newport Beach; Eva and Caden Berry of Austin, TX. Our family is extremely grateful for the love and care he received from Carolyn Freeman, Paula Senechal, Shari Carson, and the staff of Linwood Meadows.A Visitation will be held Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel, 127 E. Caldwell Ave, Visalia, California, from 4PM to 7PM. Services will be held Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at Salser Dillard Funeral Chapel at 9AM with Internment immediately following at Visalia District Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, we kindly request contributions to the .Memorial Tributes and Condolences can be offered by logging onto
www.salseranddillard.com.
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