Jim Berry, 63

James "Jim" Berry, 63, of Longview, Wash., formerly of Mountain Home, died Aug. 26, 2003 at the St. John Medical Center in Longview.

Berry was born May 14, 1940, in Chicago, Ill., the son of Edwin and Iva (Petersen) Berry.

One of six children, he was raised in Belvidere, Ill., and graduated from high school there in 1957.

On Feb. 27, 1965, he married Marjori "Marne" Diefenthaler in Madison, Wisc.

He served in the Marines and Air Force for seven years.

In 1965 he entered federal civil service and accepted a job in the Yukon as a power plant operator for the Air Force. He retired in 1997 as a general maintenance superintendent after a 38-year career that had led him to assignments in the Azores, Bermuda, Canada and Libya, plus 12 states of the union.

Berry had moved to Longview three years ago after living 12 years in Mountain Home.

He was a member of St. Rose Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, Elk's Lodge and several other social and fraternal organizations. He was the current president of the local chapter of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.

He enjoyed gardening, yard work, jazz and traveling on road trips with his wife.

He is survived by: his wife, Marne, of Longview; two sons, Tom Berry of Castle Rock, Wash., and James "Jim" Berry of Davis, Calif.; three brothers, Robert Berry of Maplewood, Minn., Tom Berry of Lodi, Wisc., and John Berry of Orcas Island, Wash.; and two grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Barbara McGuire and Diane LaBuy.