Richard Steven Berryman

Richard Steven Berryman, 71, of Seal Beach died of heart failure March 29, 2022, at an area hospital. He was the youngest of five Berryman children who all grew up in their family’s funeral home in Cozad, Nebraska, and helped in various ways. Richard joined his mother, Geraldene Berryman, in the business in 1972, after graduating from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago. His father, Virgil, had died a year earlier. The Berrymans sold their business, which included three funeral homes, in 1983.

In the mid-1980s, Richard moved to Los Angeles, where he worked with funeral homes, then with sales with Service Corporation International. Years later, he worked with older adults when he purchased a Comfort Keeper franchise with his cousin and business partner, Mary Granger. They sold the business in 2017, and Richard retired to Leisure World Seal Beach. Richard was a people-oriented person who prided himself on providing support to grieving families through his work in funeral homes and on providing help to the elderly through Comfort Keepers. He also prided himself on his sales ability, including selling Southern California to his friends in Nebraska. Richard had been known to call snowed-in Nebraska friends to say he was on his patio having brunch. Richard lived in Long Beach for many years, before moving to Leisure World Seal Beach with his companion, Ivan Whatley. Ivan died in 2020. Richard’s retirement activities included daily walks with his small dog Charlie, who like Richard, was large in personality. Richard also closely followed the national news, freely sharing his opinions on news events and other subjects. Over the years, Richard helped and encouraged many friends, as well as family members. In retirement, he often said he was fortunate to have family, friends and neighbors who looked after him. Richard is survived by his sisters, Janet Thompson of Bend, Oregon, and Betty (Terry) Rowe of Lexington, Nebraska; his sisters-in-law, Karen Berryman of Kearney, Nebraska, and Phyllis Berryman of Tennessee; his cousin Mary Granger of Seal Beach, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He also is survived by longtime close friends from Nebraska and California. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, James Berryman and William Berryman; his nieces, Tammi Rowe Warner, Sandra Thompson and Amy Michelle Berryman, and nephew, T.J. Thompson. Richard’s memorial service will be April 30, at 1 p.m., at Leisure World Community Church. Guests should enter through the main gate on Seal Beach Boulevard.