Franziska S. Berry

Funeral service for Franziska S. Berry, 85, of Lawton, will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 3, 2017 at Lawton Ritter Gray Funeral Home Chapel. 

Franziska passed away on July 31, 2017 in Lawton, Oklahoma after a lengthy illness. She had been residing at the Brentwood Senior Living Center in Lawton for the past 3 months. Prior to that, she resided in her home in Lawton for the past 45 years. 

Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Franziska S. Berry was born on January 19, 1932 in Munich, Germany. During her time in Lawton, she made many friendships. She was loved by so many and made such an impact on everyone she met. Franziska worked at Schutz's Meat Market, Haggar Manufacturing Plant, and most recently, Southwestern Medical Center. Franziska spent 25 years working at Southwestern where she was well liked by her coworkers, patients and physicians alike, being recognized in 2012 as "Medical Staff Employee of the Year". She was a tireless worker who often ran circles around much younger employees and always served as a role model to those that worked with her. Always quick to speak her mind, and often blunt in her opinions, those that knew her were always aware that she cared very deeply for her friends. On top of that, she cherished the time she could spend caring for the babies in the nursery at SWMC as well as with the mothers recovering after giving birth and she also very much enjoyed working with the staff in the Short Stay unit. So many patients she cared for described her as firm, but amazing. That description fit her perfectly. 

Franziska very much enjoyed having her afternoon coffee and visits with friends when she wasn't working. She enjoyed sharing her love for her home in Germany. She loved the beauty of her home and missed it very much. She also enjoyed the German community here and the many German friends she had. She was a very meticulous person in almost every aspect of her life. She was very matter-of-fact, but also that person who would do anything for anyone. She was very giving and she took such pride in that characteristic. She was kind and very old fashioned in her ways. Her etiquette was something to admire, she never missed an opportunity to send a thank you note to others to express her gratitude, and to be a mother to the many who loved her and thought of her as such. 

During the past several months, she received excellent care from many physicians and care givers here in Lawton. She thought very highly of the care she received during her stay in the CVC unit at CCMH; especially from her two favorite nurses on that unit, Michelle and Courtnie. In fact, when it was time to be discharged she didn't want to leave her new friends. Over these final months, Franziska received support, love, and comfort from her family, Mike Cornish, Anita Watson, and Deanna Price who cared for her and loved her deeply.

She is survived by a son, Calvin Wayne Berry of Missouri and his family as well as her close friends that she considered her family here in Lawton.

The type of life that Franziska lived, caring for and loving so many, will live on in her memory and in the hearts of those that she touched with her love and her wisdom. She will be thought of and remembered fondly.

 Service Information