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Jim Walter Berry.... his parents were Walter and Phyllis... he was 24 years old when he moved from Vancouver to Calgary for his work in the wine industry; he later moved to Ontario... he was 75 years old when he passed away in Brampton on 14 December 2020... grew up participating in soccer, baseball, athletics... earned Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia... suffered from Parkinson's... worked for Andres Wines, Colio Wines, T.G. Bright & Co. Ltd (Vincor), and Kittling Ridge...
represented Canada in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Olympic Qualifiers and the Pan American Games... was part of the first Canadian team to feature in Olympic Qualifiers in 1967... career 12 international appearances across five years from 1967 to 1971 with Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team, including four international "A" appearances... was briefly Canada’s joint all-time leader with 12 career international appearances after he featured in all 12 Canada international matches in 1967 and 1968 (both Jim Berry and Bob DiLuca shared the record)...
a two-time Canada Soccer Football Championship winner (Challenge Trophy in 1966 and 1969)...
noted as “a tremendous competitor with a great deal of speed” in a 1967 all-stars program (noted that he had run 100 yards in less than 10 seconds)... said Len Brown in 2018, “they used to tell us, if you beat Jim Berry, you will have to beat him again in 10 seconds because he will be back at his position because he was so fast... he was so fast to recover, it was amazing”...
as noted in his 2020 obituary, ”for Jim, a boundless optimist, the wine glass was always half full. The Bear had an irrepressible charm and charisma that drew people into his orbit”...
represented Canada in 1967 Olympic Qualifying for México 1968... finished fourth with Canada at the V Pan American Games Winnipeg 1967... he was 23 years old when he made his debut for Canada at the national A level (6 October 1968)... represented Canada in 1968 CONCACAF / FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for Mexico 1970...
