Prolific Journalist Warren Berry Dies at 79

Prolific journalist Warren Berry died in his Eatons Neck home Friday of congestive heart failure at the age of 79, according to Newsday.

Berry began his long and varied career as a copy boy for the New York Times in the 1950s and later worked for the New York Herald Tribune until it folded in 1966, covering the New York Stock Exchange and being feared dead while covering the devastating 1964 Alaska earthquake.

He served most of his career as a writer for Newsday from 1966 to 2006 and covered the White House during the Nixon Administration. Tony Marro, who served as Newsday's editor for 16 years, credited Berry for being a driving force in the paper's transformation from a small suburban paper to a big city daily. 

Huntington Patch editor Pam Robinson remembered Berry from her time working with Newsday from the early 1980s into the 2000s.

"Warren loved newspapers, he loved every aspect of the getting and the telling of the news. And he always had a kind word, a story to tell. He was also a classy guy, treated everyone well; he never stood on ceremony," she said.

"Years ago, I'd just brought my daughter home from China, and we were walking down Main Street when we spotted Warren about half block away. Warren's a big guy. He walked right up to my tiny 3-year-old and without saying a word, leaned over and planted the gentlest kiss right on top of her head. He was just a caring, sweet guy in addition to being a smart newsman. He was such a good soul."

Berry moved from Manhattan to Eatons Neck with his wife Moya and their two children in 1974. They became smitten with the peninsula after visiting Newsday columnist Mike Brady's home for the weekend. Although his career demanded the bulk of his time, Warren enjoyed coaching the children's soccer team at Steers Pit in the 1970s. 

"I think everybody remembers Warren as a jolly, generous outgoing optimistic man," Moya told Patch. "He was always very encouraging. He was a consumate newspaper man. His job was his life, he loved it."

"I see him when I think  of him," she said, her voice breaking. "Just his big smiling, beaming face and his twinkling eyes. He was such a generous human being, very kind and very forgiving, never held grudges. We consider ourselves very lucky that he was in our life."

Berry is survived by his brother, Francis, of Jupiter, Fla.; his daughter Kate Devlin Berry of Los Angeles; and his granddaughter, Claire. His son, Timothy, who also worked for Newsday, died last year.

A viewing will be held on Tuesday from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Nolan & Taylor-Howe Funeral Home in Northport. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Roman Catholic Church in Centerport.