@2023 Myrtle Grove Baptist Church - 5920 Lillian Hwy - Pensacola, Fl 32506 - 850-455-7389
Rex Berry
Leon “Rex” Berry
Leon “Rex” Berry of Pensacola, Florida, went to be with his Lord the evening of Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at the age of 95. He was born in Troy, Alabama,
on July 25, 1928, to Leon Sr. and Simmie Berry. He graduated from Troy High School in 1946. He enlisted in the Army in September 1946, and served in
Korea until his discharge with an Honorable Discharge in April 1948. Not surprisingly, he was a Sargent Auto Repairman while in the Army. He moved to
Pensacola in 1948 and entered the machinist apprenticeship program at Naval Air Station Pensacola. He worked as a machinist and tool maker there until
his retirement in 1983 after 36 years of service. He married Lola Nell Vanderford in 1960 and they settled into their new house in Myrtle Grove in 1962. He
started a small engine repair service, RELO Enterprise, in his backyard shop after retirement and did small engine and other repairs for several years,
finally closing his business in 2012.
Rex was a member of the Myrtle Grove Baptist Church for over 40 years. He was active in the Audio/Visual ministry there and was head of that ministry
for several years. He was a Mason and a member of the Naval Lodge in Warrington for over 60 years. He became a Shriner and founded the Micros parade
car unit of Hadji Temple. They performed in numerous parades in the Florida Panhandle in the late 1960’s and into the late 1970’s.
Rex was never idle. When he was not busy with work, the church, and Shriner activities, he was helping people with mechanical problems on their power
equipment and vehicles. There were very few problems that he could not figure out a solution to, even if it was only a temporary fix. Friends, neighbors,
and the occasional stranger would show up at his house with some broken piece of equipment, to the chagrin of his wife, Lola. There was a worn path
from the driveway to his shop in the backyard due to people stopping by with something that needed repair.
Rex and Lola would frequently travel to the Smokey Mountains and visit friends and family along the way. He was an avid photographer from an early age
and even had a dark room in the back of his shop that he used to develop film and print pictures. He was not afraid to accept new challenges and even
learned how to ride a unicycle.
Rex was preceded in death by Lola, his wife for 58 years, his father Leon R. Berry, his mother, Simmie P. Flowers, and his mentor uncle, Henry A.
Peacock. He is survived by his two sons, Leon R. Berry III and his wife Lara, and Craig R Berry and his wife Patricia. He had six grandchildren and one
great-grandchild.
The family would like to thank his friends and neighbors for their help and support over the years. A special thanks goes out to the staff of Brookdale
Senior Living in Pensacola for the support and friendship they provided him, and to Vitas and Emerald Coast Hospices for their help and support in the
final days of his long life.
The Homegoing service will be held at Pensacola Memorial Gardens on Wednesday, August 9
th
with the viewing at 10:00 AM followed by the Homegoing
service at 11:00. The family ask that donations be made to your church’s Christian outreach ministry or local Christian charity in lieu of flowers.
Myrtle Grove Baptist Church 850-455-7389
Rex joined MGBC on May 18, 1975