George Robert (Bob) Berry

George Robert (Bob) Berry, age 84, of Smyrna, DE, formerly of Milton, DE, passed away on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Bob was born to George and Eleanor Berry on July 2, 1941, in Wilmington, DE. He grew up on Laurel Lane in Newport, graduating from Conrad High School in 1959, where he was a proud member of Conrad’s FFA.

It was at Conrad where Bob met the love of his life, MaryLou Clark. They were married in 1961 and welcomed three children, Bonnie, Michael and David. They would have been married for 65 years in July of this year.

Bob called himself a “has been,” and never worked a day in his life! “I has been an architect, a teacher, a police officer, and a woodworker.” He worked as an architect from 1959-1970, working on several notable projects such as the MLK building at Del State, Silver Lake Elementary in the Appoquinimink District and Dover High in Capital District. He was a member of Appoquinimink’s school board for several years which cultivated his love for teaching. In 1970, he began teaching drafting and design at Christiana High School then moved to Hodgson Vo Tech in 1976. He taught and coached many students to become architects and VICA competition winners in the field of drafting and design before becoming student advisor where he earned the title, “By the Book Bob.”

Bob always had dreams of becoming a DE State Trooper but did not meet the height requirements at the time. He fulfilled his police work dreams in 2000 however, after retiring from teaching, by joining the police force in Dewey Beach, DE. He completed the New Castle County police academy at the age of 50 and proudly received his pin from his son Michael, a DE State Trooper.

After moving to Milton in 2000, Bob and MaryLou opened Berry Patch Reproductions, where they built, repaired, and refinished furniture for many clients up and down the state. They traveled to craft shows to display their combined talents and made many friends along the way.

Bob’s pride and joy, his grandchildren, began arriving in 1989 and that’s where his light really shined. He loved taking them for tractor rides, fishing, working in the woodshop learning woodworking skills, riding Chelsea, Shiloh and Roxy, going camping, attending sports functions up and down the state, and his many weekly phone calls checking in to make sure all the kids were doing ok.

After moving to Smyrna in 2015, Bob refined his woodworking skills and began carving birds. He spent hours in the shop he built in his basement carving and painting birds of every shape and size. In 2021, with his business manager granddaughter, Lauren, “Bob’s Birds” was born. They traveled to local craft shows selling his birds, made custom orders for people and branched off from birds to fish, to other small animals, including a skunk! His carving career culminated as the Governor’s Award recipient at the Delaware State Fair in 2018, for an amazing carving of a Great Blue Heron.

The fun really kicked in when Bob became “Pop-pop KrankAToe”, beginning in 2021, with the birth of his great-grandchildren, Bo, Ollie, Ellie, Hallie and Casey. They loved getting their toes ‘cranked’ by Pop-pop, trying to figure out how to pop their teeth out like he did, spending many an hour asleep in the rocker with Pop-pop and Ralphie the pug, farming on the floor with his John Deere tractor collection and riding his horse Roxy with one of the littles tucked safely in front of him in the saddle.

Bob was a former member and elder of Calvary, Cool Springs and Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Churches. He was also a proud member of Ionic Lodge #31, AF and AM in Newport, DE.

Bob is survived by his wife of 64 years, MaryLou, his daughter Bonnie and her husband Jim, his son Michael and his wife Karen and his son David and his wife, Theresa. He will be sorely missed by his grandchildren James R. Barey (Brice), Jason R Berry (Jessica), Emily Smith Emerson (Robbie), Thomas C Smith, Ashley Berry Johnson (Kyle) and Lauren Berry Pellegrini (Brandon) as well as his 5 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, E. Jeanne Smith and her husband Kevin and sister-in-law, Edie Janis as well as a host of cousins, nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly. He will also be hugely missed by his little walking buddy, Ralpie the pug.

Bob was predeceased by his parents and brother, Charles W. Berry.

Bob’s family is extremely grateful for the love and care provided by Compassionate Care Hospice during our time of need.

Internment will be private, at Bob’s request, with a celebration of life to follow at a later date.

Contributions in Bob’s name may be to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, the American Diabetes Association or Compassionate Care Hospice.