Starlette Kay Berry died peacefully in Chico on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. She was born in Albany, Georgia, to Neal Joel Reid and Linda Carol Braswell on October 7, 1965, seven minutes before her twin sister, Scarlett “Renee”.
Starlette was baptized at the Southside Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. While at the church, she was a singer with a “voice like an angel,” and her favorite song was “Hallelujah Square”.
Starlette and her family moved to Virginia in 1977. She was raised with her sisters, Scarlett Renee, and Michele, by their stepfather, Michael Kohler, and Linda Braswell.
Her stepfather tried to teach her how to drive, but she hit the gas pedal instead of the brake when trying to park the car. She ended up hitting the brick part of the garage and damaged it.
She was also raised by her maternal grandparents, General and Lola (Whitaker) Braswell.
When her previous marriage ended, after the birth of her first son, Daniel Colvin, she moved back from Maryland to Virginia. She stayed with her mom, Linda, and Michele until she moved out on her own.
While living in Virginia in 1985, Starlette met her husband, Robert Berry, when she was having a beach day with her sister, Scarlett. Robert was stationed at Norfolk at the time.
According to their families, Starlette and Robert were a perfect match, and the rest is history.
Starlette and Robert raised three children together: Joshua, Joseph, and Andrew Berry. Robert and she were consistently going from California to Erie, Pennsylvania, where her oldest son, Daniel, lived.
When her children were young, Starlette enjoyed traveling around the United States via Amtrak to visit family all over. Starlette was a loving wife and mother.
She was an activist and an active member of her community. She was a member of the Salvation Army, a strong defender of children and animals, and she would help anyone in need, always with a smile.
She enjoyed working at The Little Red Hen in Chico, where she tended to plants. She joined the Harvest Baptist Church in 2018, and remained an active member for the rest of her life.
She is survived by two of her sons, Joseph and Andrew Berry; sisters Michele (Joshua) Kohler Furry and Scarlett “Renee” (Bill) Reid Hawkins; sister-in-law Peggy Berry; brothers-in-law George and Willard Berry; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her two dads, Michael Kohler and Neal Reid; mother Linda Braswell; husband Robert Berry; sons Daniel Colvin and Joshua Berry; and nieces and nephews.
Donations in Starlette’s memory can be made to the Harvest Baptist Church of Orland; the California Autism Society; and the American Diabetes Society.
Services are planned for a later date at the Harvest Baptist Church, 1202 Railroad Avenue.
Arrangements are under the direction of Sweet-Olsen Family Mortuary of Orland.
The Glenn County Observer 