Estocia Berry, long-time president of the Columbia County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), died Wednesday morning at the Pines at Catskill Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. She was 85 years old. Berry’s niece, Rae Banks, said Berry -- who lived on Columbia Street in Hudson -- suffered from congestive heart failure and lung cancer.

Friends and family of Berry described her as a strong leader who worked tirelessly to localize national issues. Alan Skerrett, a WGXC programmer and Radio Council member who took over leadership of the Columbia County NAACP when Berry resigned in the early 2000s, told the Register-Star today that everyone who worked with Berry stood by her side and dedicated themselves to helping her.

Before she came to Hudson, Berry served in various state government positions in Albany, including providing administrative support for four different governors. She then went on to help organize the office of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and also worked as the secretary to the chancellor of the state Board of Education. Locally, Berry served as chairperson of the Mayors’ Advisory Board during Richard Scalera’s first two terms and sat on Columbia-Greene Community College’s Multicultural Committee.

Funeral services, being handled by Bates and Anderson Funeral Home of Hudson, will be held Monday at Shiloh Baptist Church at 14 Warren St., according to the funeral home. Visiting hours are from 10:30 a.m. to noon, with services being held at noon. Interment will take place at Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson.



“When Estocia was NAACP president, she had officers that worked with her and they were very loyal to her — they were at every meeting, and did things with her,” said Skeritt. “When I was NAACP president, I couldn’t get someone to stay on as a treasurer for more than a couple of weeks... I never had officers who were willing to be accountable and responsible, but she had people who worked with her for many years.”

Skeritt has since “put the chapter into inactive status.”

“(Berry) had been very supportive to me and my efforts to keep it going, but she also realized it was kind of short-lived,” said Skeritt. “People liked her, and I don’t have that kind of energy we had 30 years ago, especially when nobody is joining in the fight with you.”

Rae Banks said before she came to Hudson, Berry served in various state government positions in Albany, including providing administrative support for four different governors. She then went on to help organize the office of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and also worked as the secretary to the chancellor of the state Board of Education.

Berry also served as chairperson of the Mayors’ Advisory Board during Richard Scalera’s first two terms and sat on Columbia-Greene Community College’s Multicultural Committee.

“Estocia Berry was a longtime upstanding citizen in the city of Hudson,” said Scalera. “She was a great community activist and a great friend — somebody that helped the city enormously with taking on the responsibility of that position (NAACP president).”

Scalera said Berry was equally revered and treasured among both blacks and whites.

“She was a very outspoken woman, and fun to deal with,” said Scalera.

Berry’s long-time friend and ally Mary Lou Groll called Berry “a great person, a great organizer.”

“She was so active,” said Groll. “She was determined ... We need more people like her in the community, because she was certainly a go-getter.”

Groll said one of Berry’s proudest accomplishments during her time as NAACP president was her organization of yearly awards dinners for young people who did well in school. “That was a big thing,” said Groll.

“Just her whole personality ... You knew exactly how she felt about things,” said Groll. “It was an honor to know her, work with her and be a friend of hers.”

Alderwoman Sheila Ramsey, D-Hudson4, remembered Berry as “a dedicated worker and president of the NAACP for a long time.”

“She worked very hard and was very conscientious,” said Ramsey. “She was willing to listen and take on any issues she thought needed to be addressed.”

Darryl Banks, Berry’s nephew, said while Berry’s commitment to the community was plentiful — “She used the community itself as a microcosm of what the organization represents,” he said — she viewed everyone as her family, first and foremost.

“Family is the word for Sto — there’s no question about that,” said Darryl Banks. “That extended beyond relatives. Humankind was her family. She was that kind of person — very globally oriented with people. She could warm up to them right away, and vice versa.”

Funeral services, being handled by Bates and Anderson Funeral Home of Hudson, will be held Monday at Shiloh Baptist Church at 14 Warren St., according to the funeral home. Visiting hours are from 10:30 a.m. to noon, with services being held at noon. Interment will take place at Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson.