'The World Is A Better Place Because Of Fred Berry'

PEABODY, MA -- Fred Berry, the state Senator from Peabody for more than 30 years and former majority leader, died Tuesday after what his family described as a "brief illness." He was 68. Berry had been in hospice care since August.

Tributes from public officials poured out on Tuesday as elected leaders recalled Berry.

"The world is a better place because of Fred Berry. We've lost an indomitable force for those who are on the fringes," Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett posted on Facebook. "His example of humility, hard work, charm and humor is unmatched. He was my mentor and my friend. Rest easy good and faithful servant."

Berry, a Democrat, retired in 2012 after 30 years in the state Senate, the last 10 of which he served as majority leader. Born with cerebral palsy, Berry advocated for people with disabilities. Outside of his public service, he ran his own nonprofit that worked with Northeast ARC.

Berry graduated from Bishop Fenwick High School and Boston College, then went on to get a master’s degree in Education from Antioch College. He entered politics in 1979, when he was elected to Peabody City Council. He served there for four years before being elected to the state Senate.

Some Beacon Hill observers said Berry shortchanged his own career and his chance for a higher office by focusing on his work for nonprofits. When he announced his retirement in 2012, the Boston Globe noted he had raised more for charities than he had for his own campaigns. Others suggested his disability was a liability, and some critics went as far to suggest he was likely to die in office.

But Berry, one of four children born to a grocer and a homemaker, said throughout his career his disability forged his career in public service. Berry's cerebral palsy affected his speech and mobility, and in the last few years in the Senate, he used a wheelchair.

"He was always the funniest guy in the room...by far. More importantly, he had an indefatigable zest for life and served Salem and nearby North Shore communities with distinction during his decades long service as our State Senator," Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll wrote in a Facebook tribute to Berry. "Underneath his outward humorous personality, Fred Berry was a force to be reckoned with - a true champion who always stood up for those who didn't have a voice or political clout on Beacon Hill, in particular children in need."

Berry called Robert F. Kennedy a political hero and set up a scholarship in Kennedy's name for middle schoolers. As a legislator, Berry was seen a fiercely loyal to the North Shore even as he tackled broader, political issues. He won the five-way Democratic primary in 1982 for his first run at state Senate as the only candidate who said he was pro-choice.

Berry and his wife Gayle started and ran the Fred Berry Charitable Foundation out of their home in Peabody right after he was elected to the State Senate in 1982. The charity raised more than $1 million over three decades to help food pantries, homeless shelters, educational programs, and other human service agencies.

As a legislator, Berry represented Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, Salem and Topsfield. He played a crucial role in the expansions of Salem State University and North Shore Community College in Danvers, which named an academic building after him. He used his position as majority leader to steer a bill through the legislature to fund the construction of the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School in Danvers.

Berry had been in declining health since retiring, but continued to work for Northeast ARC. In August, Peabody City Council held a moment of silence for Berry. When the Salem News reported on that gesture and said he was expected to recover Gayle Berry issued a statement saying he had been moved to hospice care.

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Patch file photo of Fred and Gayle Berry.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).