Obituary for Joan Berry (Gates)
On April 2, 2020, our wonderful mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Joan Louise Berry, passed on to a better life with our Lord in heaven. She was the ninth of ten daughters born to Ervin Francis Gates and Glorene Harshbargar, and was born in San Francisco. She danced her way through 88 years, despite suffering from dementia the past few years. We will always be inspired by her strength of character and ability to overcome many hardships during her long life.
Joan was a 54-year resident of Lemoore and a Navy wife through and through. She worked for the Navy Exchange System for many years culminating as the head of security at Lemoore Naval Air Station. One of our favorite stories is about the time she chased a shoplifter through the Navy Exchange parking lot—and caught him!
She was always willing to help others and, after retirement, volunteered at the Hanford Hospital until she was over 80 years old.
She loved her aerobics classes and would tell everyone that it was the secret to her longevity and that everyone should exercise.
Her favorite pastime was playing Bingo at the Tachi Palace, where she was seen several times a week for over 30 years. It was always a highlight of her family’s visits to play Bingo with her and share a meal at the buffet. If we won Bingo, she yelled Bingo the loudest!
Her great-grandchildren loved visiting with her and enjoy repeating what we call her many “Nanny-isms”. She had lots of old-fashioned sayings that left them giggling. One of their favorites was when, during a car trip, she would complain about a stoplight by saying, “you could bring your lunch to this light!”
Mom was an inspiration to us all with her toughness and ability to cope with any hardships that came along. We will miss the love and support she freely gave to all of us, but we are thankful that she is at peace with our Lord. She is survived by two daughters, Donna Sheldon and Gale Mostacciuolo, seven grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Berry and her son, Michael Berry. Burial will be at the Lemoore Cemetery.
Joan was a 54-year resident of Lemoore and a Navy wife through and through. She worked for the Navy Exchange System for many years culminating as the head of security at Lemoore Naval Air Station. One of our favorite stories is about the time she chased a shoplifter through the Navy Exchange parking lot—and caught him!
She was always willing to help others and, after retirement, volunteered at the Hanford Hospital until she was over 80 years old.
She loved her aerobics classes and would tell everyone that it was the secret to her longevity and that everyone should exercise.
Her favorite pastime was playing Bingo at the Tachi Palace, where she was seen several times a week for over 30 years. It was always a highlight of her family’s visits to play Bingo with her and share a meal at the buffet. If we won Bingo, she yelled Bingo the loudest!
Her great-grandchildren loved visiting with her and enjoy repeating what we call her many “Nanny-isms”. She had lots of old-fashioned sayings that left them giggling. One of their favorites was when, during a car trip, she would complain about a stoplight by saying, “you could bring your lunch to this light!”
Mom was an inspiration to us all with her toughness and ability to cope with any hardships that came along. We will miss the love and support she freely gave to all of us, but we are thankful that she is at peace with our Lord. She is survived by two daughters, Donna Sheldon and Gale Mostacciuolo, seven grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward Berry and her son, Michael Berry. Burial will be at the Lemoore Cemetery.