Obituary of Wallace E Berkey

Wallace Berkey died suddenly on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at Abington Jefferson Hospital. Born on September 21, 1938 in Pottstown, PA, Wally graduated from Spring-Ford High School, Juniata College in Huntington, PA (where he played baseball for the school’s team), and Temple University,graduating with degrees in mathematics and education. Wally also did graduate coursework at the University of Maine and San Diego State University.

Upon his college graduation, Wally began his teaching career for the Colonial School District at both Whitemarsh Junior High and later Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School. He spent 35 years teaching math, riveting his students with his depth of algebraic magic.

Wally also served as assistant athletic director at P-W, where he excelled at sorting and distributing the helmets and shoulder pads each summer before football practice beganand arranging officiating for teams across the school. He was obsessed with sports at all angles—as a player in his earlier years, coach, rabid fan of the Phillies and P-W Colonials especially, and as a frequent bettor on nearly any thoroughbred horse or professional football team. Wally’s other hobby was keeping meticulous and expansive statistics of local high school sports, even being featured in the Norristown, PA Times Herald for his efforts.

In addition to his teaching career, Wally spent his summers at the Jersey Shore, and while his family was enjoying the beach and ocean, he co-owned the now defunct Oasis Restaurant (with fellow PW-er Andy Carter) on the Avalon boardwalk and later did bookkeeping at the Concord Hotel in Stone Harbor.

Wally and Natalie “Sue” Nolan were married on June 26, 1965. She survives him as do his children Brian of Blue Bell and Jill (Mike) of Seattle, WA, his brother, Robert Berkey of Linfield, nieces and nephews; and many friends from the P-W community, Lafayette Hill, where he lived for 50 years, and the residents and staff of Normandy Farms in Blue Bell. 

Services will be held at St. Helena Church, 1489 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell on Thursday, April 13 at 11AM