Thomas Nelson Berry

Tom was a family man with great integrity who forged strong connections with many people. He loved cars and music. His Drive for Life was inspiring, leading many people to improve themselves and their driving abilities.

Tom was born in Greenville, South Carolina on January 11, 1958 to Roger Wells Berry and Ann Nelson Guidera. As part of a military family, he grew up in many places, but ended up in Redlands, CA where he graduated from Redlands High School. He enrolled at the University of California, Riverside, where he earned a B.S. in Business Administration.

While in college, Tom worked at a gas station in Redlands, where a cute girl kept returning to get gas suspiciously often. They struck up a conversation and eventually decided to go on a date. That cute girl was named Theresa Marie Riebli, and after dating for 6 years, they wed on May 21, 1983 and enjoyed 42 years of marriage. They raised three extremely talented and beautiful daughters and now have three amazing son-in-laws and three loving grandsons. He was known to the boys simply as “Papa”.

Tom was a man of many talents and he pursued his passions with resolve. He was known for being deeply competitive and for excelling at anything he put his effort toward. Tom earned the rank of Eagle Scout, establishing him as a man of noble character. He practiced and taught others to have strong personal convictions and to be the best version of themselves.

He always wore a smile, which put others at ease. His sense of humor and honesty drew people closer and made them feel more like family than merely friends. Tom was known for his love of Dr Pepper, Snickers, and powdered donuts. Some believe these were the secret to his competitive success.

Tom was naturally athletic. He began swimming competitively at a young age and continued competing through high school. In college, Tom learned to play racquetball, which he played throughout his adult life and through which he made many dear friends.

Tom loved music. In high school, he played trombone in the marching band and in college he played in the Jazz band at Riverside City College. As a young adult, he was part of a variety show group called The Entertainers. Tom proposed to Theresa on stage during a live performance with this group. While he mainly played the trombone and guitar, Tom also played the trumpet, a skill which he taught to his daughters. Tom had a beautiful singing voice, which, combined with his sight-reading skills, made him a valuable member of the Christmas Choir at St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church. Tom enjoyed listening to music and he was gifted with remembering the names of songs and artists. He was known for quizzing others to see if they could name that tune or group.

One of Tom’s greatest passions was cars. Tom discovered autocross racing during college and became a force in the local and national autocrossing communities including SCCA, NMCA West, Racing Byrds, PCA, and Corner Exit. He won countless trophies and titles, including, but not limited to: SCCA National Champion (10 times), 2004 SCCA Overall ProSolo Champion, ProSolo Class Champion (16 times), CalClub Overall Champion (13 times), and NMCA West Grand Champion (3 times). For decades, the Berry home has overflowed with trophies, plaques, and clipped magazine articles featuring Tom. Notably, Tom was recognized by SCCA as a Driver of Eminence in 2009 and was awarded the 2016 Solo Cup alongside his family. Beyond driving, Tom consistently volunteered his time and talent to serve in racing leadership positions both locally and nationally. He was always willing to share his knowledge and enjoyed mentoring people who were new to the sport. He relished the opportunity to jump in a new car and promptly demonstrate to the owner just how much more their car could do.

Tom made his love of cars his job. He started a business as a car parts broker, T&T Auto, through which he built deep and long-lasting professional relationships. Tom helped countless friends and family members resolve their car-related issues, whether it was selling a car, fixing a car, buying a car, or learning how to drive a car.

Tom is survived by his wife, Theresa Marie Berry; his three daughters Christine Ann Grice and her husband Marshall, of Redondo Beach; Heather Nicole-Berry Frazier and her husband Charles, of Goleta; and Lisa Michelle Ramirez and her husband Matthew, of Yucaipa. He leaves behind his grandchildren Charles, Alexander and James. He is also survived by his sister Lynne Berry Westlake and her husband Ward, of Kapolei, HI; step-brother, Earl Poytress and his wife, Patty, of Montrose, CO; and brother-from-another-mother and fellow Eagle Scout, Scott Wheeler and his wife, Candace, of Fairfax Station, VA.

A Funeral Mass is planned for July 21st. A Celebration of Life will take place in September.