Timothy Brooks Berry

Timothy Brooks Berry passed away peacefully with family by his side on the morning of May 6, 2026. He was 77.
Tim was born in Richmond, VA. He spent most of his early childhood in the parsonage of Memorial Methodist Church in Charles City County, VA, where his father served as minister. After the sudden death of his father and his mother’s later remarriage to Louis Bullman, the family moved to the banks of the Chickahominy River. Upon graduation from Charles City High School, Tim attended Emory and Henry College where he met his wife, Linda Blank. After his graduation in 1970, he returned briefly to Charles City to teach school and coach football and baseball before entering the Army Reserves where his training to be a parachute rigger included jump school at Fort Benning, GA.
Tim and Linda were married in 1971 and moved to Williamsburg, VA. His teaching and coaching job led them to live in both West Point and Culpeper, VA. In 1975 he transitioned to banking as a branch manager for Culpeper National Bank, beginning a career that spanned over thirty years and multiple banks in Lynchburg, VA, Louisville, KY, Roanoke, VA, and Birmingham, AL. In Birmingham he worked as Senior Credit Officer for Commercial Lending for Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, and the Florida Panhandle for SouthTrust Bank. He was transferred to North Carolina in 2003 where he was president of the SouthTrust Bank in Raleigh. He worked several years with Credit Risk Management, LLC before his retirement.
Tim loved being involved and serving in each of the communities where he lived. He particularly enjoyed serving as president of the Emory and Henry College Alumni Association, the Roanoke Valley Arts Council, and the Veterans’ Life Center in Butner, NC. He was an active member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church where he served on the vestry, attended the Thursday morning men’s Bible study and was instrumental in the initiation of several men’s ministries. Tim especially treasured time spent with Linda, their children, and grandchildren at their mountain home, The Heights, in Wolf Laurel, NC. Playing golf at the Wolf Laurel Country Club was a great source of joy (and frustration) for him. Tim and Linda loved watching and cheering on the Carolina Hurricanes. One of the highlights of his life was sounding the siren as a season ticket holder.
Tim never met a stranger. He loved to ask “Where are you from?” and create connections. While this attribute served him well in his banking career, it also created a vast network of friendships that he fostered his entire life.
Family was most important to Tim and he was proud of his eastern North Carolina heritage. He is predeceased by his parents Alexander Benners Berry, Jr. and Hazel Windley Berry Palmer and his siblings, Elva Berry Yates, Alexander “Sandy” Berry, III, Hazel “Win” Berry Baker. Tim is survived by his wife of 54 years, Linda Blank Berry; his children, Ashley Berry Sellner (Adam), Timothy Brooks Berry, Jr. (Amy), and William Louis Berry (Karen); his grandchildren, James “Jack” Sellner, Emilie “Mae” Sellner, Noah Berry, Lucas Berry, Emma Jean Berry, Reagan Berry, and Addison Berry; and a host of nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Tim’s life will be held on May 26, 2026 at 2:00 pm at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 1520 Canterbury Drive, Raleigh, NC 27608.
The family extends heartfelt gratitude to the Transitions GUIDE program and the caregivers of the Heirloom Memory Care of the Cardinal at North Hills for the compassion, dignity and love they showed Tim and his family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Holy Michael Foundation of St. Michael’s or Transitions of Wake County.