James Frederick Berry

James Frederick Berry, “Jim,” of Trafford, passed away peacefully on April 19th 2019, after a long fight with leukemia. He was born on May 30, 1944 in Lucerne, PA, but moved to the Pittsburgh area when he was only three. Jim was an only child, predeceased by his parents, Esther (Cree) and Earl Berry, and survived by Marcia Godich, his loved companion of over 50 years.  Jim was a professor of Speech and Theatre for 34 years at Carlow College, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, and Hebei University in China.  He was also an Equity actor, performing in over a hundred roles in academic and professional theatre, including the University of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Playhouse and the Civic Light opera locally, as well as three seasons of Shakespeare in Repertory in Victoria, BC. He then moved to work as a director at Duquesne and Carlow Universities and the Pittsburgh Gilbert and Sullivan players.  When asked, he said he had no children, but that his immortality would be through the people whose hearts he touched through his plays and the many students he taught and mentored over the years. He enjoyed keeping in touch with many of his students over the years and enjoyed sharing in their lives and accomplishments.  Jim loved to cook (and eat) and host dinner parties. He loved music ranging from Mozart to Sondheim to Jazz, sang an incredible bass and played the guitar and recorder.  He also loved to travel, throughout the US, Canada, and China, but also to England and Japan, where he could also experience his love of theatre from Shakespeare to Kabuki.  He has moved on now to that great theatre in the sky, but he will be sorely missed by those who loved him and whose lives he touched.  May flights of angels sing him to his rest.

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