Family Remembers East Quogue Woman Who Died In House Fire

Those who knew Linda Berry the best say she was always the first to help others.

As a child, she often assisted her father, Eugene Hubbard of Quiogue, on his 53-foot dragger that he used to dock at the Swordfish Beach Club in Westhampton. When she was older, Ms. Berry volunteered her time on two different farms in her hometown of East Quogue: a potato farm that once operated across the street from her West Side Avenue home, and the nearly century-old Densieski Farm off Lewis Road.

In her other free time, the stay-at-home mom crocheted blankets for nearly everyone she knew and, because of her natural demeanor, was always there whenever a friend or neighbor needed a favor, according to one of her sons, Christopher Berry of Quogue. “If anyone needed help she was there,” Mr. Berry said this week.

The 68-year-old died two days before Christmas after the longtime home she shared with her husband, Freddy Berrato, caught fire with her inside, according to authorities. Responding East Quogue firefighters, who received the alarm at 4:15 p.m. on December 23, said they found an unconscious Ms. Berry inside the home, but only after she had succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Her husband, who was not home when the blaze started, suffered smoke inhalation after he repeatedly tried to enter the burning building after returning home, according to Southampton Town Police. Both Mr. Berrato and an unidentified police officer who arrived at the home before firefighters suffered smoke inhalation while trying to rescue Ms. Berry. Both were treated at the Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead and released.

Detectives are still investigating the cause of the fatal blaze, though they have not labeled it as suspicious. The Southampton Town Fire Marshal’s office is also investigating.

“When we got there, there was already very heavy smoke coming out of the entire house,” East Quogue Fire Department Captain Ted Jankowski explained on Christmas Eve, the day after the fire. “The front door had heavy smoke coming. Two of our guys went in to search, and they found the female victim.”

Mr. Berry said it felt like a nightmare losing his mother just before the holidays. “She was looking forward to being with us on Christmas Eve—it’s hard,” he said.

Mr. Berry explained that he always had a close relationship with his mother, noting that they frequently spoke on the phone. He said he admired how she was always ready to take on any task—regardless of its enormity or complexity. “She cut firewood,” Mr. Berry said on Monday. “She was doing things that no other woman in my life I knew would do.”

He shared that his mother loved to get her hands dirty, explaining that she enjoyed farming, gardening and even yard work. Mr. Berry said his brother, Eugene Berry of East Quogue, and all of the Hubbards enjoy fishing and his mother often helped out on her father’s fishing boat. It was not unusual for her to work the nets when they went out crabbing, adding that she would often find horseshoe crabs which they used as bait to lure eels. He noted that his grandfather’s boat could be found across the South Fork when it was on the water.

“She loved the water—that was her life,” Mr. Berry said. “That was one of her biggest things—being on the water.”

Ann McVey of Quogue, who describes herself as Ms. Berry’s lifelong best friend, said she will never forget the laughs they shared on the dragger.

“All-out antics together,” Ms. McVey said on Tuesday while recalling some of her favorite memories of Ms. Berry. “We always pulled practical jokes on the fishermen at the [Shinnecock] Inlet, but they always knew it was her. I didn’t get in trouble—she did!”

Ms. McVey, who was in the same grade as Ms. Berry’s younger sister when both attended the Westhampton Beach School District, said they also enjoyed hanging out on Ms. Berry’s family’s other boat—a 20-foot wooden sailboat that they docked at Callahan’s Dock in Shinnecock.

“We were like two peas in a pod for a long, long time,” Ms. McVey said. “She used to call me every single day between 8 and 8:10 [a.m.] every day to ask what I’m doing. I still look for that phone call every morning.”

Beth Green TerVeen of East Quogue, who is engaged to Mr. Berry’s brother Eugene, said she will best remember Ms. Berry for her laugh and warm heart.

“She loved to crochet,” Ms. TerVeen said of her friend. “Everyone who knew her got a blanket at some point.”

Ms. McVey explained that crocheting came easy to Ms. Berry because she used a similar technique as she did when tying nets on her father’s fishing boat. She explained that her friend gifted her many blankets over the years, including a miniature one for her cat.

“She was the epitome of a 1960s beach girl,” Ms. McVey said. “She had sparkling blue eyes, long blond hair—she was just a cute little person. Everyone liked her.”

Services were held for Ms. Berry on December 30 at the Westhampton Presbyterian Church in Westhampton Beach. Immediately afterward, her ashes were scattered from the Stevens Lane Bridge—also known as the Swordfish Bridge—one of her favorite places. Later that day, many family and friends—most of whom are proud owners of one of Ms. Berry’s hand-crafted blankets—gathered at the East Quogue Firehouse to share stories, according to Ms. McVey.

She added those fortunate enough to know Ms. Berry will always have the blankets as a warm reminder of their friendship. “It’s like getting a hug from her,” Ms. McVey said.

Liz Jackson, who lives on the same street as Ms. Berry and her husband, is still collecting donations for Mr. Berrato, who lost all of his belongings in the blaze that also claimed his wife. Ms. Jackson is collecting gift cards to local grocery stores, delis, restaurants and clothing stores to help Mr. Berrato, who is staying with family in Hampton Bays. Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 144, East Quogue, NY 11942.

Mr. Berrato could not be reached for comment this week.

In addition to her husband, two sons and father, Ms. Berry is survived by five siblings: Donald Hubbard of South Carolina, Janet Hubbard Booth of East Quogue, Diane Hubbard Bennett of North Carolina, Benjamin Hubbard of East Quogue and Karen Hubbard Golding of Calverton.

She was predeceased by her mother, Marge Smith Hubbard, a sister-in-law, Rose Kollhop Hubbard, and a nephew, Norman Hubbard.