30 Oct 2024 Couple of the Month: David and Crissy Hawkins Berry
HIS STORY:
I would describe myself as patient, outgoing and hard-working.
native of: Faulkner County.
EDUCATION: 1989 graduate of Greenbrier High School and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Academy.
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: I am a retired Conway Police Department officer. I served as a patrolman, a detective and a school resource officer. I currently serve as an area service manager for Smart Start Ignition Interlocks, covering Arkansas and Mississippi.
WHEN IS YOUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY? Oct. 15, 1994.
WHAT IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE?
I believe learning to show respect to one another even during difficult times and being willing to compromise has helped us have a successful 30-year marriage.
AWARDS/HONORS: I am always honored when former students come up to talk to “Officer Berry.” I am proud that I made a positive impact on students’ lives during my time as a school resource officer at Conway High School.
CHURCH ACTIVITIES: We are members of Enola Church of Christ.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT CENTRAL ARKANSAS?
I was born and raised in Central Arkansas and have always loved it here. My family lives in Faulkner County, and I love living close to them.
SPECIAL INTERESTS: Hunting with my boys and being outdoors.
HER STORY:
I am a quiet introvert who is dependable, disciplined and punctual. My motto is, “If you are on time, then you are late!”
native of: Faulkner County.
CHILDREN: We have three sons, two daughters-in-law and two grandchildren. We have twins, Jacob and Jackson, who are 26 years old. Jackson is married to Natalie, and they have our two grandchildren, 2-year-old Grae and 10-month-old Georgia Kate. Jacob married our new daughter-in-law, Abbe, in July of this year. Our youngest son is Luke, and he is 23 years old.
EDUCATION/TRAINING: I am a proud alumna of Conway High School, class of 1992. I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Central Arkansas. My bachelor’s degree is in early childhood education, and my master’s is in library media and information technologies.
PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: I am a media specialist at Frank Mitchell Intermediate School in Vilonia. Before joining the faculty of the Vilonia School District, I taught kindergarten and first grade at Sallie Cone Elementary in Conway.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT VILONIA? The people who make up the community. They welcomed our family into the school district and community when we moved here in 2006 and made us feel right at home. David and I, along with our boys, have developed lifelong friendships with the people of this town.
WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE FOOD? I will never turn down a piece (or two) of birthday cake from Julie’s Sweet Shoppe in Conway!
AWARDS/HONORS: I have a sense of pride in being able to go from someone who two years ago could barely climb a flight of stairs to being able to complete two 5Ks, four 10Ks, six half-marathons and one marathon.
SPECIAL INTERESTS: I enjoy spending time with my family. Running for fitness and health has become an integral part of my life that I enjoy deeply.
Their STORY:
By Lori Dunn
When Chrissy Berry of Vilonia started her weight-loss journey in 2022, her husband was right beside her. Sometimes literally.
During summer vacation, Chrissy would run in the early morning hours. David Berry, a former police officer, was worried about his wife running alone in the dark, so he joined her. “It was pitch black outside, and I told her she was not going to go by herself,” he said. David bought a bicycle so he could ride alongside his wife on those dark morning runs. In one summer, the couple clocked 500 miles together. They ran and cycled six days a week.
Chrissy and David are celebrating 30 years of marriage this year, and their support of each other is keeping them going strong. Chrissy’s determination to lose weight has helped her health and confidence. But it has also strengthened the couple’s relationship through the time they spend together. They met when David was a police officer with the city of Conway and Chrissy was working at the University of Central Arkansas Police Department as a college student. They have three sons and two grandchildren.
Chrissy is a media specialist at Frank Mitchell Intermediate School in Vilonia. She has been an educator her entire adult life. David left the police department in 2010 and works as a service manager for Smart Start Ignition Interlocks. Chrissy’s decision to get in shape happened in May 2022 at the end of the school year. A coworker had posted a video of a school event on Facebook, and when Chrissy watched it, she almost didn’t recognize herself. That very afternoon, Chrissy dug an old pair of tennis shoes out of her closet and got on the treadmill. “It started as a way to lose weight. I had been having some health issues. It was a task to walk up a flight of stairs,” she said.
“I was always active when the boys were young, but before you know it, I had packed on a hundred pounds.”
Chrissy was embarrassed she had let herself go for so long and finally decided she wanted to make changes. She began running again, and since that day, she has lost 130 pounds through diet and exercise. “I have not looked back. It’s been quite the road,” Chrissy said. “I feel so much better and I am just trying to maintain now.”
She also found out she had osteopenia, which is a precursor to osteoporosis. Strength training could help reverse it, she said. She now runs 5Ks and marathons. She recently competed in a half-marathon in Tulsa, Okla., and finished second out of all the women who competed. “That was a big race. I had worried so much about body image before, and I was able to get on that podium and feel good about it,” she said.
Even after winning medals, Chrissy’s favorite part of her journey has been the extra time with David beside her.
“I would not be able to do this without David,” she said.
