James Berry, 76, who raised and lowered Chicago bridges for 43 years, died Sunday, Feb. 10, of complications from a stroke at the Lemont Center nursing home in Lemont. Mr. Berry served in the Army Air Forces on the West Coast during World War II, according to Norma Berry, his wife of nearly 54 years. When he returned to his native Chicago, he took the civil service exam and wound up as a bridge tender. For many years, he was a “rover,” his wife said. “They sort of leapfrogged [from bridge to bridge], following the boat as it moved up the river,” she said. “There was one year where he operated every bridge in Chicago.” Mr. Berry was based at the Roosevelt Road Bridge, then the 18th Street Bridge, the Lake Street Bridge and the Lakeshore Drive Bridge, where he finished his career as a supervisor. His shifts changed regularly, but he considered that a bonus–when working late-afternoon or overnight shifts, he had mornings free to play golf. For 34 years, he served as secretary of the Cog Hill Golf Club Association, his wife said. Mr. Berry is also survived by seven nieces and nephews. Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Thursday in St. Andrew Catholic Church, 219 Arlington Drive, Romeoville.
