Franklin W. Berry, 78

Published 3:51 pm Thursday, January 5, 2012

INDIANA, Jan. 5 – Franklin W. Berry, 78, of Columbus, IN died Monday, January 2, 2012 at Hospice of South Central Indiana Inpatient Facility in Columbus, IN. He was born in December 1933 in Richmond, the son of the late William R. Berry Sr. and Irma Hubbard Berry. He was raised in Meherrin.

He married Rosemarie Pruitt in June 1970 at First Christian Church in Columbus, IN.

Mr. Berry was a graduate of Farmville High School in Farmville and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets.

He was a Retired Major in the U.S. Army where he was a Fixed and Rotary Wing Pilot and Flight Instructor. At the time of his retirement he was Chief of Meteorological Services Atmospheric Sciences Laboratory at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Maj. Berry served two tours in Vietnam and was the recipient of the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, 27 Air Medals and the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star among numerous other medals.

Following his retirement from the U.S. Army, Mr. Berry was a substitute teacher for the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation and he was a part-time employee for the Columbus Youth Camp for over 20 years.

He was a member of the Liberty Christian Church in Green Bay.

Surviving with his wife of 41 years are a daughter, Teresa (Mark) Beebe and a grandson, Christopher Beebe, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Along with his parents, Mr. Berry was also preceded in death by a sister, Elizabeth Anderson of Richmond and two brothers, William R. Berry Jr. of South Hill and James E. Berry of Indianapolis, IN.

Services will be conducted at a later date at the Arlington National Cemetery Chapel in Arlington with a caisson procession to his gravesite with full military rites conducted by the Arlington National Cemetery Honor Guard.

The family requests memorial contributions to Just Friends Adult Day Services in Columbus or the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Hathaway-Myers Chapel in Columbus, IN.

Online condolences to the family may be made at www.hathaway-myers.com.