Former Magee Mayor Edwin “Dale” Berry, of Magee, Mississippi

Former Magee Mayor Edwin “Dale” Berry, of Magee, MS, died July 28, 2025, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, two months after resigning from the position of Mayor due to health reasons. At the time of his passing, he was awaiting a heart transplant. Dale was a dedicated public school teacher, coach, businessman, and public servant. Still, no role was more important to him and provided greater joy than being a father to Heather, Hanna, and Brentley.

Dale was born on November 4, 1957, in Magee to E.O. and Theda Pearce Berry. He grew up learning the value of hard work and the importance of education from his parents. His father, a former Marine, returned from World War II and established a taxi service and gas station, which later evolved into a successful car dealership and auto parts business. His mother moved to Magee in 1950 to teach at the local school. She emphasized the importance of family and the value of earning a college degree. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Dale was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church of Magee, where he was a faithful member of the Men’s Sunday School class. He was a longtime member of the Magee Lions Club.

Dale attended Magee Public Schools, where he was an active member of the Future Farmers of America and participated in baseball and football throughout junior high and high school. He earned several honors as a football player, including Most Improved Player (1973–1974), Best Blocker, and Best Tackler (1974–1975). He was named to the South Little Dixie All-Conference Team and chosen to represent Magee in the Mississippi High School All-Star Game.

Dale was signed to a football scholarship by Copiah-Lincoln Junior College following graduation. Known for his accomplishments as a starting linebacker, he was named to the Associated Press All-State Junior College Team. He graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from Copiah-Lincoln in 1977 and was recruited by Millsaps College on a subsequent scholarship. At Millsaps, Dale was the team’s second-leading tackler during both the 1977 and 1978 seasons. He graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a minor in Physical Education. He was inducted into the Millsaps Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

Following graduation from Millsaps, he played for the Mississippi Stars, Mississippi’s only professional football team.

Decades of Dale’s life were dedicated to mentoring students in the classroom as a teacher and young men on the football field as a coach. He was known as “Coach” to hundreds of athletes who went on to play at both the collegiate and professional levels. Teaching and coaching tenures at Pearl, Magee, and Mendenhall High Schools, as well as Simpson County Academy, were highlighted by winning seasons and championship games. Additionally, he was recruited to coach boys’ and girls’ basketball and track following the end of several football seasons.

Dale’s dedication and interest in his students and athletes were appreciated by administrators and parents, resulting in his being named Best All-Around Teacher at Magee High School and receiving the Distinguished Coaching Award from the Mississippi Association of Coaches while at Mendenhall High School.

Continuing his father’s legacy of service to the City of Magee, Dale served in city government for 12 years, first as a member of the Board of Aldermen and as Mayor of Magee since 2017. During his tenure as Mayor, Dale utilized an open-door, hands-on approach to governing and was instrumental in attracting several businesses to the city. He was constantly promoting and recruiting for the city, either through personal meetings with business owners or making cold calls to businesses nationwide. He was the ultimate cheerleader for the city he dearly loved.

Dale was very involved in the Mississippi Municipal League, regularly attending meetings and conferences and completing educational classes and seminars. He served as Education Chairman of the MML and completed Basic, Advanced, and Professional Development Training during his years as Mayor. Additionally, he served as President of the Central Mississippi Association of Mayors.

Dale led the City of Magee during years of unprecedented progress as well as significant challenges. These included snow and ice storms in 2017 and 2021, numerous tornadoes, and perhaps most challenging, the COVID-19 crisis. During each challenge, he sought advice from the MML, other mayors, industry experts, and city managers.

As former Mayor Jimmy Clyde said just a few weeks ago at Dale’s retirement ceremony, “Until you’ve been in the mayor’s shoes, there’s no way to understand the pressure and difficulties one faces, especially during times of disasters and economic factors out of your control. Dale faced a lot of challenges and handled them well.” Mayor Clyde expressed his appreciation to Dale for his kindness to others and for his kind words to him regarding the favorable conditions he inherited as Mayor.

In addition to serving as an elected official, Dale also volunteered as a firefighter, basketball referee, and youth sports coach. He supported local sports teams until the last year of his life, regularly traveling to away games as well as home games to watch Simpson County athletes compete in several sports.

Beyond his professional accomplishments and civic endeavors, Dale was devoted to his family. Following the death of his parents, he regularly hosted Christmas gatherings and grandchildren’s birthday parties in his home.

He is survived by his brother, Hal Berry, his three children, Heather Nicholas (John) of Jackson, Hanna May (Chris) of Mendenhall, and Brentley Berry (fiancé Allison Richardson) of Magee; six grandsons: Heath, Samuel, Edwin, Holden, Townes, and Dale Halston; two nieces and a great nephew.

Dale was beloved by many for his outgoing, friendly personality, sincere interest in helping others, dedication to family and friends, and desire to make Magee a better place to live and work. Even during trying times, he never lost his positive attitude, his ability to laugh, and his determination to keep moving forward with a smile and a cheerful greeting for everyone. His legacy of unwavering faith in God and love for family and community will live on through the thousands of lives he touched.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 pm on Friday, August 1, 2025, at First Baptist Church of Magee. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Interment will follow in Magee City Cemetery. Officiating the service will be Rev. Buddy Keyes and Rev. Jim Taylor.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Jimmy Clyde Sportsplex (a name change initiated by Dale as Mayor in honor of his predecessor), Please make checks payable to: City of Magee (Dale Berry Memorial in memo). Checks can be mailed to: 123 Main Ave., Magee, MS 39111 or dropped off at City Hall. Other options include: Rials Creek Church Bags of Love, 185 Rials Creek Church, Mendenhall, MS 39114 or favorite charity or church in Dale’s name. Arrangements are entrusted to Tutor Funeral Home of Magee.