Spring Woods High School
Class Of 1971
David Berry
Residing In: | Jacksonville, FL USA |
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Spouse/Partner: | Kassie Berry |
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Occupation: | Retired |
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Children: | Jennifer Rebecca Berry Weiman(1973) John Robert Berry (1979) (both JR's for John More…and Robert Kennedy) |
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Military Service: | US NAVY 1972-1994 |
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Zachary Pike (2006)
Sydney McKenna Pike (2009)
I remember the Volkswagen someone took to the second floor up the big ramp in the commons.
Awesome bonfires at Memorial City which I'm sure would not be allowed today..
Bottle rocket fights in the parking lot after hours
Working in the bottle sort room at Gerland's watching Kelly Weisbruch break off-brand bottles against a wall that we did not take....
Our basketball victory against Memorial High School my senior year..first time in 7 years Memorial had lost a game in district play...
Sadness: learning the Mike Bird had died.. an untimely end to a interesting guy and ever so talented artist.
Being young and in love : Laurie Brock where are you?
I made contact with Debbie Fridrich Hatt ten years ago again and have now gotten in contact with others I had never forgot like Minnette Eschette Feather and even others I really did not even know well in High School. It's never too late!!! I and others from Spring Woods are having a ball on Facebook!!!
CELL 904-887-8123
probably a few
I joined the Navy in 1972 after screwing around for a year at the U of Houston. I guess I really wasn't ready to decide what I wanted to do, and I figured the Navy would be a good place to figure it out. My first duty Station was out in Guam for two years, then I got picked up for an officer program where they shipped me to Ole Miss (University of Mississippi, Oxford, Ms.) where I degreed in Electrical Engineering. I was commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy in 1979. 15 years later, and after multiple duty stations including three deployments to a cold war Mediterranean Sea onboard aircraft carriers USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS Coral Sea (CV-43), duty in Monterrey and Pt Mugu, Ca., Fallon, Nevada, Jacksonville and Pensacola, Florida, Lakehurst, NJ, Memphis, Tn. and Norfolk Virginia, I retired as a Lieutenant Commander.
Now retired my last job was Sierra Management Inc.) on contract to store and ship Navy and Marine Corps Aircraft parts. upgrades.http://www.springwoods1971.com/class_classmates.cfm
University Of Mississippi, Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering
Although I left high school fairly liberal minded, I have evolved in my beliefs. I still feel like I am personally very liberal in my views of lifestyles and social mores but I do not think that should extend to government. I saw government waste first hand for 23 years in the NAVY and feel the federal government and state governments should be operated VERY frugally and conservatively, and in strict accordance with the U.S. Constitution.
I am all at the same time intelligent, intense, grumpy, grouchy, funny, happy, loyal to a fault, obstinate, conservative, libertarian. I am also a handy guy. If I can get the parts and the tools, I can fix just about anything, and with epoxy and a finishing nail, about everything that breaks around a house.
I got extremely lucky after miscues in the marriage field by meeting and winning my lovely wife Kassie.
To quote Vanessa Williams, I "saved the best for last"
I helped create my daughter Jennifer and my son John, two of the best people in the world!!!
Went to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in 1984 before it got banned (leans too much now for climbers to the top)
Went to the top of the Great Pyrimid in Cairo,
had a beer in front of the Great Sphinx.
Toured all the historical sites in Jerusalem, Bethleham and Galilee
Stood in front of the 9 foot tall Michaelangelo Statue of "DAVID" in Florence, Italy. Micheangelo didn't do David any favors in the package department.
I am a hunter, fisherman, and woodworker. A handyman extraordinaire (jack of all trades master of none) while also pursuing hobbies in Gunsmithing, Ammunition reloading and recreational shooting. I am also a avid gun Collector.
Avid Reader..anything historical, and also action thriller reader of anything Clive Cussler writes.
All our animals are rescue animals
We now have ORBIT the dachshund (ORBIE) and Kikki the CAT.
I was fortunate to grow up in Sonoma, California, one of the most wondrous places ever to grow up, and we even realized it back then in 1965. (just went back to visit September 2012!!) Then, back to Texas, state of my birth. I am intensely proud of my Texas birthright, and also very,very proud of my Tennessee roots that included a GGG Grandfather, Sam Berry, who fought (and died) defending his state serving with the 55th Tennessee Infantry for the Confederacy.
I had a great time in high school, and got to play basketball for the best high school in Houston, Spring Woods High. Looking back, I would have and should have got involved in other things that have always interested me, music (I played the Baritone in Elementary School), furniture design, and metalwork (welding and casting).
I held our art, music and drama students in very high regard in high school even while hanging around with the jocks.
David's Latest Interactions
I'm devastated to hear that Kelly Passed in 2018. For several years I tried to contact Kelly to no avail. Kelly and I were pretty good friends, really due to working at Gerland's food store together for about three years. I can remember antics back in the bottle room as we sorted returnable bottles, Kelly smashing the one's that we didn't take like the Big Red's and Squirt. We also enjoyed greatly throwing a can of Hair Spray into the Incinerator every once in a while. One time , the manager walked in just as the can exploded behind the big heavy incenerator door..Ashes reined down on me, Kelly and the manager. He said what the hell was that?!..We shrugged our shoulders and said there must of been something in one of the boxes!
Anyway, Kelly's Roadrunner was a blast and it was able to jump 16 oz Colt 45 cans without tipping them..I was impressed! Kelly always knew that If we ran into Debbie Lacey while we were out terrorizing the streets that i'd likely jump ship and drive off with her..he didn't hate me for it..Anyway he was a good friend and buddy, and I think about him often. I'm sad I never got to see him again, the last time when I was on Navy leave in 1975.
Sleep well little buddy!!
Dave Berry
Anyone who knew me in high School knew that Debbie was my partner in crime, my lover, my buddy, and my best friend forever. The nature of our relationship never progressed to the point where we were silly enough to get serious, but we had a lifetime friendship that lasted 50 years. I miss her every day, because up to the day she died, we called each other regularly and it always seemed like I had just seen her yesterday, although the last time I saw her pretty face was back in 1994. I'm sure we'll meet again Deb and St Peter will probably kick us to the corner for shenanigans. Oh the stories I could tell, including Wall street in NYC, Blue Light Cemetary, bottle rockets, and running around at U of H at all hours of the night. I love you Deb, and Miss you, Dave
As posted in his guestbook..https://www.brenhammemorialchapel.com/obituaries/james-william-derkowski/view-guestbook?p=1
I always stood in Don's shadow...he's 6'8" !!!
Posted on: Oct 17, 2017 at 3:33 AM
Posted on: Oct 17, 2016 at 3:33 AM
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