Mary Ann (Hare) Berry's Obituary
Mary Ann (Hare) Berry, 90, passed away on January 29, 2025, in Longview, Texas after a long illness.
She is survived her brother Charles Hare (and wife Cecile); three children, Sheila Satterwhite of Longview, Ken Berry (and wife Kathy) of North Richland Hills, and Sonja Hooton (and husband Rick) of Gladewater; seven grandchildren; and five great- grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Clyde Laurence Berry, on January 16; her parents Charlie D. and Mable (Smith) Hare; her sisters Virginia Johnson (and spouse Clyde) and Joy Blomberg (Eric), and her brother William "Billy" Hare (Sandra).
Mary Ann was born on January 27, 1935, in Houston, Texas. Her teenage years were in Austin, where she attended Stephen F. Austin High School. After graduation she worked in the University of Texas library.
She married Clyde on November 5, 1953. During the rest of that decade, they moved back and forth between Austin and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as Clyde pursued better job opportunities to support their growing family. They moved to Longview in 1962 and thereafter lived in the greater Longview area, the last three decades in their country log home between Hallsville and Harleton.
In 1978, after their children were grown, Clyde and Mary Ann opened Berry Family Pools, which is still in business and run by family members over 46 years later. For many of those years they had five stores, stretching from Longview to Tyler and Lufkin. Mary Ann continued to help with bookkeeping into the past year.
Mary Ann was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. An avid reader herself, she read to her young children regularly. She provided transportation to and attended practices, concerts, and games. She sewed lots of clothes for her daughters. She sent cards and cash for every birthday, anniversary, and holiday.
She was always physically active and enjoyed sports. She played ball with her brothers growing up, and on her high school girls' basketball team. She practiced with her son when he was in Little League baseball. She attended football games when her grandsons played or when her daughter Sonja led the marching band. She watched games on TV during football season, especially her favorite team, the Texas Longhorns. She caught countless fish off their dock on Lake Cherokee. She enjoyed relaxing swims in their pool, which she usually cleaned herself. For four decades Mary Ann and Clyde spent much of deer season hunting and camping in the Texas Hill Country or closer to home near the Louisiana border. She regularly sat in her own blind with her own rifle. Until her final months, her daily chores included feeding their dogs, cats, and chickens (and filling bird feeders).
Mary Ann was a lifelong member of Churches of Christ, including the Northside congregation in Austin, Mobberly Avenue and Alpine congregations in Longview, and in her last years, Hallsville Church of Christ. She often taught Bible classes for young children, for many years with dear friends Hilma Ferguson and Dorothy Underwood.
Memorial service will be Saturday, February 1, 2:00 PM at Hallsville Church of Christ. Graveside service and burial will follow at Center Cemetery, Harleton, TX.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to Hallsville Church of Christ, 110 Waldon
Ferry Rd., Hallsville, TX 75650, or in her name to the charity of one's choice.
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