EDMUND GRINDLAY BERRY

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EDMUND GRINDLAY BERRY Edmund Grindlay Berry, MA, PhD, FRSC Edmund was born in 1915 in Leslie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. His parents were Rev. James Berry, a Minister in the Church of Scotland, and Agnes Henderson, a nurse. Edmund immigrated to Canada with his parents and sister when he was 12. After attending high school and first year university in Fredericton, NB, Edmund transferred to Queen's University in Kingston. He graduated with First Class Honours in Classics and received the Prince of Wales Prize for the highest standing in the Faculty of Arts. His MA was also from Queen's. He received his PhD in Classics from the University of Chicago (1940). It was in Chicago that he met his future wife, Virginia Gingerick, a fellow graduate student. Edmund joined the Classics Department at the University of Manitoba in 1940 and taught there for 40 years. Throughout his career Edmund's involvement in research and academia was paralleled by his care and concern for his students and younger faculty members. This often extended to bringing out-of-town students home for dinner or tea. At the university Edmund held a number of positions including Director of Summer School, Assistant Dean of Arts and Science, and Head of the Classics Department. He also served as President of the Humanities Association of Canada, President of the Classical Association of Canada and Chairman of the Humanities Research Council. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1971. Edmund retired from the university in 1980 and was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus. He was a supportive member of All Saints' Anglican Church for 65 years, a member of the Vestry (15 years) and Churchwarden. Retirement allowed Edmund to pursue his interest in travel, especially Britain, Spain and Victoria, BC, where he and Virginia spent many happy times. Reading and conversations with his many friends (often about books) were two of his greatest pleasures. He could be depended on to entertain and amuse with a timely anecdote or joke. Virginia's death in 2003 brought many changes but Edmund continued to maintain a positive attitude. Thanks to his caregivers Mary, Sheila, Ava and Del, he was able to enjoy his last years, helped by their warm, expert care and shared sense of humour. Edmund was predeceased by his sister Elise in 1982 and Virginia, his wife of 59 years, in 2003. He has two daughters, Julia (George Melnyk) and Margaret (Philip Lin) and three grandsons, Adam Melnyk, Brian Lin, and Michael Lin. Edmund was a true Scot, a gentleman and a good father. He will be missed by all who knew him. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 12 at 1:30 p.m. at All Saints' Church, 175 Colony St. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the University of Manitoba (Edmund G. Berry Fund), Classics Department, University College, Winnipeg R3T 2M8 or All Saints' Church.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 09, 2005