No funeral services will be held for Mary Yvette Berman, 84, of Grenada, who died on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, one of her favorite and most celebrated days of the year.
Born on May 11, 1940, in Pennsylvania, Pa., and baptized Catholic, Mary was an only child, who grew up in Hollywood, Fla. She attended Catholic school as a youngster, graduating from South Broward High School in 1959. Highly respecting her father’s military service in World War II as an engineer in the United States Army, she enlisted in the United States Navy as a seaman on July 13, 1959, and was stationed in San Diego, Calif., where she attended Navy Dental Technician School from November 1959 until March 1960.
During her time in the Navy, she married and proudly served her country until April 22, 1960, when she was honorably discharged due to pregnancy. She then became a working mother to her three oldest children, Teresa, Tim and Randy. Mary remarried, and in late 1969, took her family across the country, first to Davenport, Iowa, where her youngest, Michelle, was born, and then to Grenada where she lived, worked and worshipped at both First Baptist Church and First Presbyterian Church for more than 30 years.
Both married and as a single mother, Mary worked hard and cared for her and others’ children, her ailing mother and friends. In 2000, she relocated to continue her career with Georgia-Pacific in Fordyce, Ark., where she lived almost 20 years, married the love of her life, Larry Berman, and retired, making dear friends while there. In 2020, Mary moved back to Grenada to be close to her son, Randy, who cared for her better than any son could have done and was with her when she passed.
Sometimes loyal to a fault, Mary was a generous, God-fearing woman, who lived a wide and storied life, and had a huge heart for those less fortunate than her, both people and pets alike. Living a life that wasn’t always easy on her, she leaves behind a legacy of strength, love, hard work, independence, downright stubbornness, reading, rose bushes, baking, quilting, storytelling and fellowship. She loved the best way she knew how, was loved immensely in return and will be greatly missed.
Her parents, John and Eve Moore; her husband, Larry Berman, and one daughter, Teresa JoAnn Hanson, preceded Mary in death.
Survivors include, her two sons, Tim (Chrissy) Mitchell and Randy (Jennifer) Louden; one daughter, Michelle Mitchell (partner, David Jepson); three granddaughters, Ashley Louden, Hannah (Brennan) Stansbury and Maddie (Eric) Lethander and four great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed in her name to Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) where she donated much of her time.
Online condolences can be expressed to the family at www.mckibbenandguinn.com
McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service in Grenada assisted the family.
