Passing of a true legend.
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 12:39 am
I just found out that John Berry passed away. Here is an obituary that Charlie Walbridge is composing for AW.
John L. Berry, 86, of Belchertown, MA, died peacefully on Thursday, Aug. 11. He was 86. Berry lived in Bethesda, Maryland and was an outstanding whitewater canoeist and competitor during the 50's and 60's. He began racing in 1956 at the Brandywine Slalom and was National C-1 and C-2 Champion many times. In 1961 he was a member of the first US team to compete at the World Championships. The races were held in East Germany and what he and his teammates learned there inspired huge advances in American whitewater sport. As a member of the Canoe Cruiser's Association of Washington, DC he explored much of the Potomac and Cheat headwaters during the 1950's. He also made several early descents of the Lower Yough. In 1957 he and his long-time C-2 partner Bob Harrigan lead the first descent of West Virginia's Cheat Canyon. The trip took 2 days with Berry solo paddling a half-decked wood-and canvas canoe. In September the pair lead one of the first trips down the New River Gorge, taking three days to go from Thurmond to Fayette Station. During the mid-sixities he also led several trips down a pre-dam Gauley River. He completed one run at very low water but was forced to abort the second run because of high flows.
Berry was a leader in the early stages of decked canoe and open canoe development. In 1960 he designed one of the first closed-deck C-1's made in this country. It was barely paddleable, but he knew he was onto something. He began offering his canoes for resale in 1965 as "Mad River Canoe & Kayak". Most paddlers back then built their own boats, and he offered one of the few ways for a non-builder to get on the water. Mid-States paddlers like Bob Burrell and Charlie Walbridge used his "Modified Czech" C-1. a In 1970 he moved from the DC area to Waitsfield, VT, changing his name to " Millbrook Boats", because the name "Mad River Canoe" was already trademarked. In 1975 Millbrook Boats moved from Waitsfield to the Hudson River in Riparius, NY. Here Berry designed his legendary open canoes: the ME, the Flasher, the Flashback, and the AC/DC. He was active in open canoe slalom and wildwater racing and his designs revolutionized the sport. Anyone who paddles a whitewater canoe today owes much to his innovations. In 1988 Berry sold the business to John Kazimierczyk, who continues the Millbrook legacy of innovative light-weight designs.
A resident of Belchertown, MA since 1989, Berry paddled on the nearby Swift River daily until this past year. His beloved wife of 63 years, Janet Berry, passed away a year ago. He is survived by his three daughters, Katharine L. Berry, Rebecca Berry Creswell, Virginia Berry and son John Berry, Jr., four grandchildren and a great grandson.
John L. Berry, 86, of Belchertown, MA, died peacefully on Thursday, Aug. 11. He was 86. Berry lived in Bethesda, Maryland and was an outstanding whitewater canoeist and competitor during the 50's and 60's. He began racing in 1956 at the Brandywine Slalom and was National C-1 and C-2 Champion many times. In 1961 he was a member of the first US team to compete at the World Championships. The races were held in East Germany and what he and his teammates learned there inspired huge advances in American whitewater sport. As a member of the Canoe Cruiser's Association of Washington, DC he explored much of the Potomac and Cheat headwaters during the 1950's. He also made several early descents of the Lower Yough. In 1957 he and his long-time C-2 partner Bob Harrigan lead the first descent of West Virginia's Cheat Canyon. The trip took 2 days with Berry solo paddling a half-decked wood-and canvas canoe. In September the pair lead one of the first trips down the New River Gorge, taking three days to go from Thurmond to Fayette Station. During the mid-sixities he also led several trips down a pre-dam Gauley River. He completed one run at very low water but was forced to abort the second run because of high flows.
Berry was a leader in the early stages of decked canoe and open canoe development. In 1960 he designed one of the first closed-deck C-1's made in this country. It was barely paddleable, but he knew he was onto something. He began offering his canoes for resale in 1965 as "Mad River Canoe & Kayak". Most paddlers back then built their own boats, and he offered one of the few ways for a non-builder to get on the water. Mid-States paddlers like Bob Burrell and Charlie Walbridge used his "Modified Czech" C-1. a In 1970 he moved from the DC area to Waitsfield, VT, changing his name to " Millbrook Boats", because the name "Mad River Canoe" was already trademarked. In 1975 Millbrook Boats moved from Waitsfield to the Hudson River in Riparius, NY. Here Berry designed his legendary open canoes: the ME, the Flasher, the Flashback, and the AC/DC. He was active in open canoe slalom and wildwater racing and his designs revolutionized the sport. Anyone who paddles a whitewater canoe today owes much to his innovations. In 1988 Berry sold the business to John Kazimierczyk, who continues the Millbrook legacy of innovative light-weight designs.
A resident of Belchertown, MA since 1989, Berry paddled on the nearby Swift River daily until this past year. His beloved wife of 63 years, Janet Berry, passed away a year ago. He is survived by his three daughters, Katharine L. Berry, Rebecca Berry Creswell, Virginia Berry and son John Berry, Jr., four grandchildren and a great grandson.
