Resident of the Month

Deborah Jo Berry was born on July 24, 1952, to Clinton and Betty Berry. She was the third of eight children, with six sisters and one brother. Born in Albany, Georgia, Deborah was raised in Miller County, where she developed a strong competitive spirit—especially when it came to sports. Whether competing with her sisters or the local boys, Deborah always strived to be the best.

She particularly excelled in basketball, known for her skills as both a ball handler and scorer. During the summer before her senior year at Miller County High School, her parents moved the family to Charleston, South Carolina, in search of better job opportunities. Though Deborah had the chance to stay in Georgia with relatives and complete her final year of high school there, her deep connection to her family led her to move with them.

Deborah enrolled at Stall High School in North Charleston for her senior year. She tried out for the varsity basketball team and quickly made her mark—becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer and earning a place in the Stall High School Hall of Fame for scoring the most points in a single game.

After graduation, Deborah enrolled in college but didn’t stay long. She became homesick and returned to North Charleston, where she began working part-time while attending the College of Charleston. Later, she transferred to Trident Technical College and earned a degree in Industrial Science. Her professional journey began in a laboratory, but when she heard the federal government was hiring at the Charleston Naval Shipyard, she applied and was hired in 1984 to work in the Safety Office, where her role involved asbestos testing and removal.
It was at the shipyard—onboard a submarine during reactor plant testing—that I first met Deborah. She reminded me to put on my safety glasses. I explained I couldn’t read the meter properly with them on, and the shift test engineer asked her to leave the sub during testing. Later that day, both the engineer and I apologized to her and her supervisor.

A few days later, we passed each other on the street. I thought about fussing at her, but when she smiled, my heart raced. I fell in love. We dated for a while and married on November 24, 1989. Deborah had a son from a previous marriage, and I had one from mine. Together, we welcomed a son in 1994.

When the Charleston Naval Shipyard was placed on the closure list, Deborah decided to change careers. She enrolled in night classes at Trident Tech to pursue nursing—her lifelong dream. In November 1994, I accepted a job at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. Deborah transferred to Mississippi University for Women and earned her nursing degree. Always ambitious, she went on to complete a Master’s in Nursing with honors at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Although she initially struggled to find nurse practitioner positions in Mississippi, she eventually accepted a role in pediatric care in Marion County, South Carolina. We moved to Marion, where she served the community for eight years. Wanting to be closer to family again, she applied for a position at Palmetto Family Primary Practice in Summerville, SC, where she worked alongside Dr. Castillon and Dr. Steward.

Deborah flourished in her medical career, consistently earning 5-star ratings for her compassionate and expert care. Never one to settle, she expanded her work into hospice care and managed the in-house clinic at The Villages in Summerville.

Deborah retired at the end of 2021, leaving behind a legacy of excellence, compassion, and dedication—in both her professional life and her family.