Professor Emeritus Dies at 72

Olivia DrakeDecember 2, 20052min

Posted 12/02/05
Spencer Berry, professor of biology Emeritus, died Nov. 19 at his home in Middlefield, Conn. at the age of 72. His career at Wesleyan spanned 35 years.

Berry joined the Wesleyan faculty in 1964 and retired in 1999.

He earned a bachelor’s of art in biology from Williams College with a minor in art history; a master’s of arts in biology from Wesleyan; and a Ph.D at Western Reserve University.

An expert in the mechanisms of insect development, he held a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Career Development Award from 1971 to 1976 and received several research grants from the NIH and National Science Foundation. He published more than 40 papers in professional journals, and he delivered talks at many professional meetings and conferences.

Professor Berry also was a valued contributor to Wesleyan, serving on the Advisory Committee, the Association of American University Presses Executive Committee, the Editorial Board of the Wesleyan University Press, the Health Sciences Advisory Panel, the Faculty Committee on Rights and Responsibilities and several administrative search committees.

In the local community, Berry was a founding member of the Middlefield Land Trust, vice-chairman of the Middlefield Conservation Commission and the Middlefield Inland Wetlands Commission.

He is survived by his wife Susan, daughter Alice, sons Matthew and Peter and several grandchildren.

A memorial service for Berry was held Nov. 29 in the university’s Memorial Chapel.