Willard Miller Berry

April 23, 1939 – April 13, 2021

Dr. Willard Berry, 81, died peacefully at home after a short illness. Dr. Berry is survived by a daughter, Vanessa Berry Chatelain, his son in law, Gael Chatelain and three grandchildren, Lucie, Nicholas and William of Paris, France. A leader in foreign trade and fostering business relationships among nations, Dr. Berry’s work focused on creating a more integrated transatlantic marketplace and supporting US Foreign-Trade Zones. He served as a congressional liaison supporting organizations focusing on international trade. He also served as President of the National Association of Foreign-Trade zones (NAFTZ), President of the European-American Business Council (EABC) , Vice President for Congressional Affairs for the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and was president of the Coalition for Employment through Exports (CEE). He worked early in his career as staff director for International Trade and Foreign Relations, National Governors Association (NGA). Previously, Dr. Berry was an associate professor of Political Science at Georgia State University. He is a graduate of Pomona College and earned his master’s degree in political science and his doctorate in political science from Duke University. Dr. Berry served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Security Agency.

Dr. Berry also volunteered for and contributed to many social and political causes. He served as a volunteer in Chicago for the first Obama campaign. He was beloved by many friends and colleagues. An avid cook, he excelled at entertaining and kept in touch with colleagues and friends over a lifetime through travel and personal contact. In retirement, he became interested in writing fiction. His is novel, Chasing Gods was published in 2019 and is on Amazon.

A private memorial service will be held on May 2, 2021 at Joseph Gawler's Sons. For more information, please visit www.josephgawlers.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: https://donate.nationalmall.org/WillBerryMemorialCherryTreeFund

Livestreaming of the services are available through the following link: https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/authorise.php?k=1619546788112688