John Edwin Berry III

John Edwin Berry III January 10, 1947 – June 22, 2025 John E. Berry died on June 22, 2025 in Hamilton, OH. A public Celebration of Life will be held at Marcum Park on July 6, 2025 at 4:30 PM, rain or shine. The celebration in John’s memory then will continue at North Second Tap and Bottle Shop. A family ceremony will take place on Hilton Head Island on a later date. In lieu of flowers or other memorials, please bring canned goods to the Celebration of Life, to be delivered to Shared Harvest Foodbank. John was born on January 10, 1947 in Oak Ridge, TN to John (“Bud”) and Mary Jane (Wilkinson) Berry, the second of their three children. The Berry family moved to Hamilton when John was in elementary school. He graduated from Taft High School there in 1965. After graduating from Parsons College in Fairfield, IA in 1970, John returned to Hamilton, where he lived in the family home for the rest of his life. After a career in sales, he retired to a busy life of travel, friends, and community service. He traveled often, usually with his dog, to Hilton Head, SC and Asheville, NC to enjoy the beach and culture and to spend time with relatives. Especially in retirement, John became one of Hamilton’s most enthusiastic boosters. He faithfully championed his adopted hometown by tirelessly supporting local events, volunteering for nearly any cause that served the community, and caring for people one at a time. His nickname for himself was “Positive John,” and he demonstrated his positivity through his own energy and cheer and by consistently urging others to see the best in people and situations. John had an easy and sometimes mischievous sense of humor. He laughed often and he cheered friends and strangers alike with his ready smile. John went out of his way to check on neighbors and friends, stopping in or calling periodically to make sure others were all right or just to say “hello.” His phone calls often were short and sometimes humorously abrupt, likely because he had a mental list of others he was about to call, but they were always welcome. John enjoyed keeping informed about affairs not only locally, but also nationally and worldwide. He was very proud of having volunteered for the successful Obama campaign in North Carolina in 2008, but he was not an especially partisan man and anyone who assumed where he stood on a particular issue could be in for a surprise. He was opinionated and sometimes stubborn, but he was willing to respect those who saw a situation differently and enjoyed trying to convince them through friendly arguments. John was a lifelong member of the Front Street Presbyterian Church, where he contributed many volunteer hours. He maintained a flower plot on church grounds, which the church named in his honor. John faithfully volunteered for Matthew Ministries, Pumpkin Fest, Ice Fest, and many other charitable or community efforts. From volunteering at ATP tennis tournaments to helping with relief efforts and community clean-ups, John loved to be involved with others. Often, he had what he was certain was a better idea of how things should run, and he was not afraid to share it. Known for that attribute, when he arrived at one volunteer event a friend teased him by giving him a name tag reading “Supervisor,” and he wore it proudly and with good nature. If there were no volunteer projects at hand, John was a ready participant in social outings, whether that meant getting together with friends to attend a festival, watch the Cincinnati Bengals, or listen to live music somewhere. There were always pets in John’s life. At the time of his death, his beloved companion was a six-toed cat named Hemingway (“Hemi”). One of John’s last requests was that the friends he was leaving behind see that Hemi gets plenty of “cuddles.” John is survived by his sister Martha Berry Palatchi and brother David H. Berry, both of Hilton Head; nephew Dan Connaughton of Hamilton; nieces Christy Connaughton of Hamilton, Mary Connaughton Little of Hilton Head, and Sarah Berry Fellona of Bluffton, SC; and many greatnieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his parents, his sister-in-law Linda Tulles Berry, his niece Jessica Berry Mattis, his great-nephew Christian Unger, and longtime family friend Mary Lou Palatchi. Online condolences are available at www.weigelfuneralhome.com

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John Edwin Berry III

January 10, 1947 - June 22, 2025