Long-Time Farmingdale & Lindenhurst Resident Theresa M. Berry Passes

Theresa M. Berry, of Farmingdale, NY, passed away on Sunday, April 14, 2024.

She was 76 years old.

She’s now reunited in Heaven with her beloved husband, Donald. They were happily married for 46 years when he passed first on March 18, 2020. She was the loving mother to her only child Cheri Jones, and was the cherished grandmother of Matthew Jones and sweet grand-dog Josie. She was the beloved sister of Frank Stocker and his wife, Diann. She was the dear aunt of Chris, Steffi and her husband, Efrain, Kaitlin, and Tommy and his wife, Maddie.

Known to her treasured family and friends as Terry and Aunt Sissy, she was a force of nature, strong, kind, and determined. She brought people together, and was at the center of a large, loving family and a large, caring group of friends that stretched from Farmingdale, where she grew up with her brother Frank and their parents, to Lindenhurst, NY, where she and her husband Don, as he was known, settled and raised their daughter, Cheri.

Terry loved fiercely and deeply, and you could count on her to back you, protect you, advise you, and comfort you when in need. Her family felt that love every day, and those in her circle counted themselves lucky to know her and have her in their lives.

She easily connected with people and loved having parties, which were always filled with the delicious food she and her brother made, specific decorations for that holiday, and plenty of love, laughter, stories, memories, and beloved friends, neighbors, and family.

She was a second mother to many of her daughter’s best friends growing up, and, as they got older, she also became their friend. It was a relationship they greatly loved and appreciated because it gave them the chance to get to know her not only as a mom, but also as a person, going from Mrs. Berry to Terry.

The love she and Don had for each other spanned almost 50 years, and it was a beautiful, long-lasting love that overcame anything life threw their way. He supported and loved her very much, and she lovingly took care of him when he took ill later in life.

She loved her daughter Cheri and her grandson Matthew very much, and was very proud of both of them. She wanted them both to always be happy, safe, and loved, and she always wanted only the best for them.

Both strong people, Terry and her brother Frank had a deep bond, and they always had each other’s backs, especially as they cared for their parents in their later years. They were brother and sister first, and that familial foundation evolved into friendship as they became adults, married, and had children and grandchildren. This bond was extended to each other’s spouses, children and grandchildren. Terry loved and cared for her nieces and nephews, Chris, Steffi and her husband, Efrain, Kaitlin, and Tommy and his wife, Maddie, as well as for her sister-in-law, Diann.

Her grand-dog, Josie, also became a bright spot in her life when she came along a couple of years ago as a puppy. She spent many a happy day with Josie at home.

Terry is being waked at Arthur F. White Funeral Home, Inc., 315 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, on Thursday, April 18, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday, April 19, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A Catholic funeral Mass takes place at St. Kilian RC Church, 485 Conklin Street, Farmingdale, on Saturday, April 20, at 10:45 a.m. This will be followed by a private cremation.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Theresa M. Berry, please visit Arthur F. White Funeral Home’s website, www.arthurfwhite.com. To pay tribute to Terry, please visit https://www.arthurfwhite.com/obituary/Theresa-Berry.