Obituary of Darlene Berry

"South Hadley -Darlene E. Berry, 56, of River Road, died Thursday, July 23, 2009 in Baystate Medical Center. She was born June 27, 1953 in Holyoke, the daughter of Czeslaw (Chase) Wajda and Dorothy (Porebny) Wajda. On August 26, 1972, she married Robert Gratton of Westfield. On December 24, 2001, she remarried Ronald Berry. She was a senior auditor for the Workforce Alliance in New Haven, CT from the early 1993 to June 2000. She was the Executive Vice President of Auditing for Center Bank, Meriden, CT from March 1986 to August 1991. She was a 1971 graduate of Westfield High School. She graduated from Becker Jr. College with honors in 1973, and was a Cum Laude graduate of Southern Connecticut State University in 1985. She was active in democratic politics and worked with Senator Edward Kennedy during his 1976 re-election campaign. She was a former member of St. Augustine Church in North Branford, CT and currently attended St. Theresa's Church in South Hadley. Surviving are her husband, Ronald Berry, and her daughter Kaitlin Berry, South Hadley; stepson Evan Berry, Guilford, CT; father Czeslaw (Chase) Wajda, Westfield; and mother Dorothy Hayes, Houston, TX. She is also survived by her mother-in-law Betty Berry, Forest IN; and sisters-in-law Linda Berry, Palm Bay, FL, Janice Berry, Covington, IN and Kathryn Chastain and husband Jeff, Crawfordsville, IN; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father-in-law Max Berry, brother-in-law Darrell Berry and her uncles Theodore and Edward Wajda, Westfield. Calling hours will be held on Friday, July 31 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Beers and Story S. Hadley Funeral Home, 646 Newton St, South Hadley. On Saturday family and friends may gather at the funeral home for 9:00 a.m. to follow to a Mass of Christian burial at 10:00 a.m. at St. Theresa's Church in South Hadley. Burial will follow at Mater Dolorosa Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society. Online condolences can be made to www.beersandstory.com. "