Samuel Leo Berry Jr

Samuel Leo Berry Jr., 85, of Louisville, Kentucky, passed away on Monday, July 18, 2022.

He was born on February 21, 1937 in Owensboro, Kentucky to Samuel Leo Berry, Sr. and Vida (Kellem) Berry.

Ok kids, let's hop in the station wagon strap in or not. Our driver may or may not have a cigar or pipe and possibly a cold adult beverage. We are taking a trip back to another time. You're one of the four children peering out the window and the driver is trying to get everyone's attention you're listening intently even though you're in the stowaway seat. The engine starts and the driver says, "I'm going to tell you about a man named Sam…

Sam grew up with depression era parents in a small town. He was an only child but had numerous aunts and uncles that he spent time with in the area. He spent his childhood exploring outdoors, hunting, fishing and getting into mischief. He held down jobs as a bicycle paperboy and a pharmacy delivery person. He met the love of his life Carol (the girl with the braids) there. He decided to make his break after high school starting with time at St Louis University and working at the local hospital at night.

He decided that college life was not for him and signed up with the US Marines and was stationed at Treasure Island. Serving his time there he rose to the rank of Sargent and was a Pay Master. He had an intense longing for Carol and asked her to marry him. She agreed and they were married back in Owensboro and took the cross country trip back to California. Shortly thereafter they had their 1st child Laura and then Lynn was soon to follow. As the time to re-enlist drew near the Vietnam War was starting to percolate and the understanding was that if he stayed in he would probably be sent overseas to fight for his country. He decided that he would work in the private sector.

They ended up realizing they missed Kentucky and moved back to Louisville which seemed to have the most opportunities for them to prosper. He found a job at American Synthetic Rubber Company and moved to Shively in a nice suburban neighborhood. Their family soon grew having Sam the III and later Scott. As they worked to strive to do better they saved their money and Carol had a fledgling business as an artist.

They eventually found their dream home in the southend of Louisville that was their own slice of heaven and it was love at first sight a veritable nature preserve. Around the same time the savings and loan crisis happened and they lost their life savings. Sam found a position as an executive at a furniture company and eventually got back to the chemical industry and even had his own company for a time. At the age of retirement he went to work at Home Depot where he worked for many years.

Throughout this time Sam worked tirelessly to help Carol with her art business purchasing canvas, framing stock, stretching paintings and building displays as they traveled across the country to various art shows and galleries to sell art and become prosperous.

As a parent Sam taught the importance of self reliance, teaching us things that we may or may not have been interested in, the importance of family, dedication, commitment, hard work, taking risks, following your dreams and independence. He passed on his love for nature, fishing, telling wild stories, cooking, exercise and dogs to his family.

Sam loved adventure and traveled and experienced cultures all over the world he and Carol visited and immersed theirselves in the cultures on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. Exploring pyramids, walking the Great Wall and traveling to and experiencing the most sacred places on the globe.

He had a great love for scuba diving and sailing and inspired his wife and all the kids and their spouses to become certified in diving. Once on a trip to the Bahamas he posed as a Sheik and went to the casino with a cast of bodyguards and interpreters which to this day remains one of the biggest hoax his family has ever witnessed.

He loved to fish and was quite the angular he told us about catching a white marlin that was a few pounds short of the world record and the taxidermist's cohort stole the fish before he could proudly display his trophy. He caught numerous species of huge fish and was always interested in teaching his unique talent.

He also loved to hunt in his earlier life for deer and dove and would proudly display his freshly killed animals for the neighbors to see. His one rule was if you kill it you have to eat it.

He instilled his passions in his children and grandchildren the love of adventure, thirst of knowledge, interest in the vastness of space, love of being on the water, in the woods or any type of nature and a great love and respect for animals.

His stories were legendary. He could take a tale and push it into overdrive at a whim. Reading the current literature of the day he could spin the details of the information and relay them as well as the authors.

Cooking was his pastime and all the way to a ripe old age he was still preparing culinary masterpieces. His way of serving a morsel to his visitor prior to the meal being served made one feel like they were the most important person in the room.

Although he lead this extraordinary life his greatest love was for his family but his family's love for him was even greater than he could have imagined. Helping him in his infirmary once he could no longer care for himself. The caregivers that watched over him were amazing people and they ensured that when his family was not there that he was being taken care of.

In the end his body succumbed to the rigors of nature as would have it we all must pass to the other side. We take his passing as a gift as his life was to all of us. We hope that we can live up to the high standards he put on his children and to relish his memory. His legacy will live on through his ancestors. We hope that in his passing he will help make a place for us in the afterworld and his spirit shines as bright as the sun.

Sam is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Carol Lee Berry, four children; Laura Kiper (Chris), Lynn Nicholson (Jack), Samuel Leo Berry, III (Sherry), Scott Berry (Mindy), ten grandchildren; Daniel Kiper, Luke Kiper, Jack Nicholson (Jensen), Taylor Braun (Adam), Ashley Brown (Paul), Christina Neubauer (Luke), Sam Berry, IV, Todd Ovington (Alicia), Peyton Berry and Hannah Berry, eight great-grandchildren; Andy, Dylan, Ruby, Nora, Finn, Jaxon, Nolan and Dallas.

Visitation will be from 10:00 am until the time of Mass at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at Cathedral of the Assumption, (433 S Fifth Street Louisville, KY 40202).

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