Mr. Curtiss C. Berry of Ft. Lauderdale passed away Thursday, January 20, 2022, at the age of 90.
Curtiss was born September 16, 1931, the 5th son of Rena Couch and Martin Berry.
Curtiss was a lifelong resident of Ft. Lauderdale.
After graduating from Lutheran High School in Ft. Lauderdale, he worked at the United States Post Office.
Curtiss joined the Army in March 1952 spending 30 months stationed in Germany.
After being honorably discharged he returned to Ft. Lauderdale and went back to work at the United States Post Office.
In December 1955 he began his truck driving career working with American Oil Company (AMOCO).
He later became a Commercial agent for Amoco (self-employed).
In 1956 Curtiss married Patricia Cramer and they had 3 children Michael, Rena, and Jill.
In 1967 he started Berry Brothers Oil Company. After selling the oil company in 1985 he started Curtiss Berry Trucking which consisted of hauling heavy equipment, cranes, bulldozers, etc. with his wife and son, Michael.
His wife, Pat, began a career with the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
Curtiss was a lifetime member of the Federal Little League assisting Floyd Hull with the building of the stadium.
He was also a lifetime member of the Lauderdale Small Boat Club, where he held office as Commodore and was on the board of directors. He was active with the waterway clean-up and enjoyed boating and participating in the boat parades.
Curtiss was very active with the Croissant Park Civic Association, held office as President, and was active on the recycling committee.
In the '60s Curtiss suggested installing an Air Horn on responding fire trucks to alert drivers.
Curtiss served on various City of Ft. Lauderdale boards for many years. After retirement Curtiss enjoyed growing tomatoes, visiting with friends in the neighborhood, and playing lotto.
Curtiss loved animals, feeding any that came around and helping his neighbors with many tasks including digging holes with a backhoe, planting trees for the beautification of Ft. Lauderdale. Many neighbors would stop to talk to Curtiss to get advice or just pass the time.
Curtiss was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers David and Gene.
He is survived by his wife Patricia Berry, children Michael Berry, Rena Greenway (Alfred), Jill (David), his grandson Joshua, his brothers Clifford and Martin, and many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held on February 4th, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at:
Barbara Falowski Funeral Home, 900 NW 5th Ave, Ft. Lauderdale FL 33315
Graveside service will be held at the Lauderdale Memorial Gardens immediately following the memorial service.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to:
Wounded Warriors Veterans Association or P&J Animal League, 410 SW 18th Street, Fort Lauderdale FL 33315 - a 501(c)3 or call 954-303-3860
This gentleman had a full life
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Curtiss
Its not the years in your life that count..its the life in your years....keep looking down of FTL
True. My father was a friend to all
DeleteI will miss him a lot, his advice and his demeanor. He really represented Fort Lauderdale and Croissant Park well. Our prayers go out to Curtis's family.
ReplyDeleteCurtiss survived a lot. He and his giant tracker helped me out with a local landscaping project. He enjoyed early mornings outside. Glad he lived a long fulfilling life. A really strong man.
ReplyDelete