On Starkville nights the presence of Gerald Berry could be felt as he strolled downtown streets. Stagger Inn was often his stopping place and upon pulling the door handle he entered the bar as well as the hearts of those who knew that seeing Berry meant there was a good night ahead. Berry, after sitting, would plop his backpack onto the back of the chair and order a cold Budweiser draft. Berry’s distinct laugh filled the bar giving off an infectious energy. After the last drink, Berry strapped his backpack on and headed home. 
Berry was born Garcia Gerald Berry Jr. in Lyon, Miss., in Coahoma County. Although Berry’s birthplace was small, his impact would grow fundamentally and affect the lives of many.  
Chris Curry, a dear friend of Berry, said their lifelong friendship began on the campus of Mississippi State University in the fall of 1970.
“I was hanging out in the union August of 1970 when I met Gerald. I was beginning my undergrad year, and he was starting his graduate level work,” Curry said. 
Berry was born August of 1947, but Curry remembers the spirit of someone born about a century earlier. 
“Gerald was 66 years old at his passing, having been born in August of 1947. He lived more like he was born in 1847,” Curry said. 
In the mid-1990s, Berry worked in the field of photography in the Starkville area. 
“Gerald taught photography class in the mid ’90s and held a position at APB Photo,” Curry said.
Aside from his passion for photography, Berry was an avid reader in his spare time.
“I remember him rereading a Faulkner novel. He said, ‘I’m reading ‘Sound and the Fury’ for the sixth time.’ He said he got something new every time he read,” Curry said. 
Berry enjoyed the bars but had passions many didn’t know of.
“People who didn’t know Gerald wouldn’t know that he read more than he drank, but he did,” Curry said. 
Berry, who had no children and never married, also lost his mother at a young age.
“Gerald’s mother died when he was young. My mother would fix him biscuits in the morning, and they would laugh. We were sort of his family,” Curry said.
Curry said Berry was a social butterfly and enjoyed being out in the community.
“Gerald would go out around five o’clock during happy hour and meet new people. Gerald had a lot of real friends,” Curry said.
The community knew Barry for having a giving spirit, and those who knew him well enjoyed pouring back into him.
“Gerald never asked for anything. He would take whatever you offered, but he would never ask,” Curry said. 
Paul Brasfield, current Chef de cuisine at Bin 612, remembers where he was when he received the news of Berry’s passing.
“I was on my way back from Atlanta in my Jeep. I received a text, and I was just distraught,” hesaid. 
Brasfield and his staff saw Berry as more than a customer. He was also a family member.
“He’s been coming around a real long time. You know if you see someone every day for a year they’re like your family,” Brasfield said.
Berry supported Mississippi State University in many aspects — one of which was sports.
“I mean if you knew anything about Gerald, you knew he loved MSU, and he hated Ole Miss,” Brasfield said. 
Berry’s influence and presence was deeper than just a friendly face. 
“I mean he had this Gandalf-type beard that was warm and brought a glow about him. He was like a mogul,” Brasfield said. 
Berry’s Halloween impersonators spoke to how much of an icon he truly was. 
Sarah Mitchell, graduate of MSU, said she met Gerald while bartending at Stagger Inn.
“Gerald was a creature of habit. That’s a good way to put it. He came in and always got the usual,” Mitchell said. 
Berry’s ability to be himself touched those who knew him best.
“He was set in his ways, but he was happy. He liked older music like old rock and roll,” Mitchell said. 
Mitchell, along with others, dressed up as Berry for Halloween.
“I was the Gerald Berry Ferry, and Gerald and I took pictures,” Mitchell said. 
Mitchell recalled the night of Berry’s passing.
“I was at Dave’s New Year’s night. After I heard, I immediately ordered a Budweiser draft for Gerald,” Mitchell said. “He lived life how he wanted to live it on his own terms. He was truly a free spirit.”