Phillip J. Berrie

On June 22, 2022, Phillip J. Berrie, 77, succumbed to the effects of a stroke he suffered in May 2021. Phil was born on Independence Day, July 4, 1944, to Roy and Betty Berrie of Mason City, Iowa. He graduated from Newman Catholic High School in 1962, and later moved to McGregor, Iowa, where Phil learned to pilot a sight-seeing boat on the Mississippi River, earning his tuition for Loras College in Dubuque. He graduated magna cum laude in 1966 with a degree in mathematics, and then became a civilian mathematician at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn, Ohio. In 1967, Phil returned to Iowa to teach Math and Physics at Western Dubuque Community High School while earning his master’s degree in mathematics. Phil had three children with Jody Vorbrich (nee Nolan). He received a PhD in Educational Administration in 1972 from the University of Iowa, and then accepted a position with the State of Iowa’s Department of Education. He later joined Heartland Area Education Agency where he worked for several decades and made many life-long friends. Phil was a passionate sailor having spent summers growing up on Clear Lake, where he raced X-class sailboats, and later spent countless hours sailing Saylorville Lake with various sailboats ranging from catamarans to cabin cruisers. Family was everything to Phil. He truly loved being a dad and introduced his family to camping, sailing, cross-country skiing, and RAGBRAI. He brought his professional energy for education home with him, instilling in each of his children a love of learning. He enjoyed coaching his children’s teams in softball, baseball and soccer, as well as playing recreational softball, where he excelled at pitching. Phil was skilled in carpentry and by himself built a fireplace, a second-level sun deck, backyard shed and several family rooms among other home-remodeling projects. He always worked hard and played hard—his many hobbies included stained-glass art, winemaking, playing classical guitar, golfing, kayaking, biking, fishing, reading, crossword puzzles and other word games. In 1984, he married Patricia Welte and always supported her interests and career. With Pat, Phil was blessed with a fourth child, Jonathan. During retirement, Phil and Pat enjoyed trips in the RV—visiting many national parks and family members across the country. He loved his dogs, especially going for walks and teaching them new tricks. He was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. He served on various educational governing boards, including the Diocesan Board of Education and one term as President of the Holy Trinity Board of Education. Phil will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 38 years, Pat; his children, Peter (Robin Langevin) Berrie, Jill (Joe) Palmer, Jason (Kara) Berrie, and Jonathan (Lisa) Berrie; seven grandchildren, Max and Ellie Berrie, Noah and Ethan Kumpf, Alexa and Adam Palmer, and Carter Berrie; sister Rosanne (Arvon) Boesen-Wolverton, sister-in-law Shirley Berrie and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother David. A visitation and funeral mass will be held at Holy Trinity Church, 2926 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines on Friday, July 1, with the visitation from 9:30—11:00 A.M. and the funeral mass following immediately at 11:00 A.M. To leave condolences for the family please visit www.CaldwellParrish.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the DMARC Food Pantry Network or Holy Trinity PATCH (Parish Assisted Temporary Care and Housing) or your favorite charity fighting to end hunger or homelessness.