Denzel Berry

Denzel Lee Berry, 87, died September 16, 2009 in Nowata, Oklahoma after a lengthy illness. Born August 20, 1922 in Delaware, Oklahoma to Lee B. and Lela Lumm Berry, he attended the Delaware schools until his junior year when he entered the Oklahoma Military Academy in Claremore, Oklahoma. After his graduation from OMA in 1942, he served four years in the United States Army during WWII spending his last six months in the Philippines and Japan and received an honorable discharge in 1946 and continuing his service in the Army Reserve until 1953. He married Janet Mason, the love of his life, on December 24, 1946 in Nowata where they lived their entire married life and raised two children. After working several years as a loan officer at the Victory National Bank of Nowata, he was employed 20 years by Public Service Company of Oklahoma in Bartlesville and was the district manager in Nowata at the time of his retirement. Denzel was a member and past president of the Nowata Country Club where he enjoyed playing golf with his buddies. He was a member of the Nowata Rotary and Lions Club. He particularly loved being a part of the horse cavalry at OMA and said that one of the worst day of his life when the military took away his horse and gave him a jeep. Having lived in Nowata County his entire life, Denzel was known and loved by many people. He was blessed with very special, life-long friends. He was preceded in death by his parents Lee and Lela Berry and is survived by his wife, Janet, of Nowata; son and daughter-in-law, Bob and Kathy Berry, of Nowata; daughter and son-in-law, Ann and Neil Hopkins, of Edmond. He is also survived by six grandchildren, Rob Berry and Alyson Berry of Oklahoma City; Denzel Blake Berry of Nowata; Mason Hopkins and wife, Christine, of Edmond; Julie Hopkins Bennett and husband, Chris, of Norman; Greg Hopkins and wife, Laura, of Waco, Texas and great grandchildren Beau, Nate, and Brooks Bennett, Alex Berry, and Annie Hopkins. Services will be held at the Nowata United Methodist Church on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. followed by interment at Nowata Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Nowata 10-33 Wheelchair Van. The family has been very thankful for Denzel's home caregivers, Becky Alspaugh, Lou Brannon, and Kathy Malone who were not only wonderful caregivers but also special friends. Also a special thanks to the 10-33 volunteers Bill Carey and Willie Schonerr; the Life Span Home Health nurses, Julie, Grace, and Sheryl; his doctor and friend, David Caughell; and the staff at Jane Phillips Nowata Hospital. All these people treated Denzel with kindness, respect and dignity.

Service Details

Saturday, September 19th, 2009 11:00am, First United Methodist Church Nowata

Interment Details

Memorial Park - Nowata