Jeff ‘El Jefe’ Berry, a Spanish professor here at Mesa College, died on Oct. 10. Berry suffered from stage IV Lymphoma, a diagnosis he received in January, according to his Gofundme page. He was 56.
Berry was a well-known educator and humanitarian at Mesa, having several stories written about him by The Mesa Press for his charity work; he donated toys, clothing, furniture, and his time to orphanages in Ensenada and Rosarito, Mexico.
A Gofundme page, put together by his children in late June to raise funds for alternative care, reached its goal in just three months, where one anonymous and kind person donated $1,000.
Alison Primoza, chair for the department of languages, said that Mesa will be having a celebration of life on Nov. 18. Primoza also said that a scholarship for the department of languages will also be named in his honor.
“He was vey much loved and respected in the department, even those who were not close friends cried several times…” said Patxi Zabaleta, former colleague and current director of the language center.
He is survived by his two children, Claudia and Pedro, and his wife Georgina.
