Max DeWayne Berry, 87, died on Aug. 6, 2026, at his home in Abilene.
Visitation will be held at Sneed-Carnley Funeral Chapel in Lampasas on Aug. 12 from 6-8 p.m.
Services will be Aug. 13 at 4 p.m. at Sneed-Carnley Funeral Chapel, with burial to follow at Watson Cemetery.
Max was born on May 6, 1939, in Lampasas to Frank and Julia (Smith) Berry. He grew up in Lampasas and was the youngest of seven children. He greatly enjoyed playing high school football, had many friends and was elected president of his senior class in 1957.
After high school, Max attended Tarleton State College in Stephenville, where he received a twoyear degree before transferring to a full university program to pursue studies in pharmacology.
He graduated in 1963 from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy and began working for Lampasas Drug as a pharmacist in 1963.
In 1974, Max and his wife, Wanda, started The Pill Box and ran that business for 20 years. He then was hired as pharmacist/manager at Walmart in Lampasas in 1994, where he worked until retirement in 2015.
Max married Wanda Davis on Jan. 27, 1962, in Houston. They were married for 64 years.
They moved from Houston to Lampasas in 1963 and lived there for 52 years before moving to Sun City in Georgetown in 2015. In 2024, Max and Wanda moved to Abilene to be closer to family.
Max and his family were members of Central Christian Church of Lampasas, where he served as a deacon and elder.
He had many passions, which included sharing his love for the outdoors with others, traveling the world, skiing with his family, eating breakfast with his high school buddies, twostepping with his bride, sailing on cruises, golfing, woodworking and making memories on Lake LBJ with his loved ones. In his later years, Max spent much of his time outdoors teaching his grandchildren to fish and hunt.
Max diligently read Scripture and had a passion for sharing God’s word with others. He was loved by those who knew him and respected by those who worked for him. Max’s humor could change the mood for the better wherever he was.
He was extraordinarily patient when teaching nieces and nephews how to fish, jet ski, water ski and snow ski. He enjoyed spending time at the lake and looked forward to the annual Berry Cousins Weekend, where he would take family for boat rides on the lake.
Max and Wanda had two exchange students from Spain, Olga and Katya Ximenez de Olaso Serna. The girls lived with them while attending Lampasas High School in 1992 and 1996, respectively. Max made many trips to Spain with Wanda to visit them and their children, who have always known him as Papa.
Max was preceded in death by his wife, Wanda Jean Berry; his brothers Sonny Berry and Alton Berry; and his sisters, Frankie Zumwalt, Mildred Dodds, Sue Baxter and Annette Yates.
Max is survived by his daughter, Lesley Berry Wood and husband Ryan of Abilene; his son, Lance Berry of Lampasas; grandsons Hunter Chase Nall and wife Alex of Abilene, Caden Dewayne Nall of Miami, Florida, Gaige Wood and wife Abi of Hawley, Texas, and Peyton Wood and fiancee Aly of Dallas; greatgrandsons Jayse, Stetson, John and Archer; a greatgranddaughter, Murphy Faye; and numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.
