CV's Dan Berry dies at 65

“He recognized the importance of the program at Crescenta Valley,” said former Crescenta Valley Principal Sam Nicholson. “He helped make it a popular sport and he established the program. He developed pride and tradition. He spent so much of his own time when the school finally got its own field and he kept it in great shape. It’s just so sad for me to know that he’s gone.”

Nicholson and Jan McCreary, then the girls’ athletic director at the school, hired Berry in the fall of 1982 to run a program that would go on to be one of the most successful in the area.

“At that time, we were in the beginning stages of girls’ athletics taking off,” Nicholson said. “Jan thought we needed a softball team and she and I got together to look for a coach.

“We went to a lot of places in our search and Dan’s name kept coming up. He was calm, well-organized and he had a lot of respect from everybody. That’s exactly what we were looking for. Jan said to go ahead and hire him and it was one of the best decisions that I ever made.”

Berry sought an opportunity to move up to the next level in the coaching profession and accepted a head coaching position at L.A. Pierce College. From 1995-97, Berry led Pierce to two appearances in the state playoffs. Following the 1997 season, Berry was hired by L.A. Mission College to build its program similar to how he structured Crescenta Valley and restructured Pierce. Mission opted to cancel its new program and Berry returned to Crescenta Valley in 1998.

Berry had an impressive list of players who donned the Crescenta Valley uniform. Many earned All-Area, all-league and All-CIF honors, including Heather Lindstrom, Leilani Artis, Stacy Atwood, Deneil Dover, Lisa Erickson, Hope Robertshaw, Melinda Moulden, Becca Baldridge, Meredith Cervenka, Melanie McCauley, Amanda Peek, Baillie Kirker, Alyssa Sovereign and Erin Ashby.

Berry, a multiple-time All-Area Coach of the Year, guided the Falcons to back-to-back undefeated league championships in 2008 and 2009, as Crescenta Valley dropped a 3-2 decision to La Serna in the Division III semifinals in 2008 and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2009. In 2000, Crescenta Valley advanced to the Division II semifinals.

On May 2, 2008, Crescenta Valley posted a 23-1 road win against Muir. The victory was Berry’s 500th at Crescenta Valley.