Henri W. Berry Jr.

A Gripping Character

July 7, 1999 ~ September 24, 2023

Gather around as I regale you with a story about a young man with a gripping personality. One may say it's mighty bold to speak of oneself as having a mesmerizing character, yet this is how my family and friends have described me.

Nancy Simmons, my mom, and my father, Henri W. Berry Sr., had nine children between them. I was the youngest. Still, I was raised with my nephews and my nieces. It is said that I am the shared child. It was three days after the 223rd celebration of the United States Independence on a Wednesday hump day which also will explain my work ethic, which we will talk about later in the story.

In the summer of 1999, the temperature was 93°, which was average that year in Littleton Co. While the climate was heated outdoors as my mother was in labor, there was a new warmth of joy, happiness, and love that filled the room. As I made my grand entrance on the 7th day of July 1999, my mother and father named me Henri W. Berry Jr. I was known as Junior to family and friends, much to the delight of our family, my older brothers,and sisters. Mom had John Manley, Sharon Manley, Samantha Dunlap, Crystal Dunlap, Jessica Dunlap, and Trinda Dunlap. While Dad had Nikki Berry. I was the latest addition to this already large family. As I mentioned, I was the shared child; my sisters all helped to raise me with my nephews and nieces, and we were more like brothers and sisters than the traditional uncle, nephews, and nieces. Alexis, Logan, and I grew up together in the same home, and once in Colorado, we became the four stooges, with Brandon thrown in the mix. In all honesty, we four have that typical sibling relationship. We were surrounded by love; our family was the example that family is where life begins and love never ends. My relationship with all my nieces and nephews was not only an uncle, but a confidante. Someone they knew would always be there, to comfort or tease. At the age of 3, my mother, Nancy, and my poppa, Daryl Simmons, moved the family to Manton, Michigan, where I was educated in the K-12 Manton Consolidated School. I outrivaled in academics, and in football, I lettered and was on the varsity squad all four high school years. Furthermore, I was on the baseball team. I love nature and the outdoors. I discovered a passion for hunting and fishing. While at the same time, I developed an appetite for video games and became an online gamer.

Once I graduated, I moved back to Colorado where I enrolled at Colorado State University. I was working towards a bachelor's in science and chemistry. My team worked on cutting-edge technology to identify how long one has been battling COVID. Once we finish this groundbreaking recognition, we will be able to advance better treatment options and personalize it for everyone. This was really cool stuff!

I fell in love with a fun-loving, sensible, patient, and adorable woman, my girlfriend of four years, Janelle. The life that Janelle and I had together was not only invaluable, it was eternal.

Growing up in Michigan, I worked odd jobs off and on, things that a teenager would do. However, once I moved in with my sister Sharon, I was employed as a certified pharmacy technician at PharMerica for five years. Additionally, I worked in the lab and the Ram Card office at CSU. All this while carrying a load of more than 15 credits each semester!

It's been said that I'm a Jokester with a unique sense of humor and an infectious laugh. I like all sorts of music: Spiderman, silly Tee Shirts, and Xbox Jack Box games. I was known for giving monster bear hugs that would crack your back, which felt good to those receiving it.

It was in the early fall, a summer-like day on Sunday, the 24th day of September of 2023. I drew my last breath, and in a melancholy way, my family and friends would be heartbroken. Yet I'd say to them, I will always live in your hearts and your minds, and when you think of some of the corny jokes I told, it will bring laughter to your being, senses, and souls.