Biography:

Paul Conrad Berry, 85, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2026, surrounded by his family and close friends.

Born on October 14, 1940, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Paul was the son of Kathleen T. Berry and Guy W. Berry. He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, Thomas G. Berry.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Mary Eldridge Berry; his stepson, Eldridge Bowen, and his wife, Lynne, of Little Rock; his stepdaughter, Laura Bowen Wills and her husband, Bradford C. Wills of Baltimore, Maryland; grandchildren Catharine and John Wills; his younger brother, Bill Berry and wife Mimi; and their children, Will G. Berry and Alice K. Berry. Paul was previously married to Margaret Speer of Fort Smith. Margaret's son, Ralph, formed a lifelong bond with Paul, who later introduced Ralph to his future wife, Wendy Carter.

Paul spent his early childhood in Little Rock before moving to Fayetteville at age ten, when his mother joined the University of Arkansas College of Education as a professor and his father became head of the University's Division of Continuing Education. At Fayetteville High School, Paul excelled academically, served as student body president, and was a standout athlete, starring at both shortstop and pitcher on the baseball team.

Through a 4-H conference on the campus (which Paul’s father hosted), Paul first met Levon Helm, who performed with his sister, who also was a promising musician. Paul and Levon would become lifelong friends.
Paul attended the University of Arkansas, where he majored in history and government and earned an outstanding academic record. He served as entertainment chairman for the student government association and would take pride in hosting Count Basie, among others.

Athletics remained another passion. Paul was an exceptional intramural athlete, earning all-intramural honors in basketball, football, and softball. As quarterback of the SAE football team, he and his close friend Jay Dickey led the team to many victories before finally meeting their match in Sigma Nu quarterback Jim French. The rivalry ended on the field, and Paul and Jim became lifelong friends.

During the summer of 1959, as Paul was being recruited by Sigma Alpha Epsilon, he became well known for his remarkable tenor voice. With his friend Rusty Bell, he won the Southwest Conference Talent Contest and later sang with the University of Arkansas's internationally acclaimed Schola Cantorum. In college, one of his favorites was Harry Belafonte's "I'm Just a Country Boy." In later years, whenever someone requested "Danny Boy," Paul would happily oblige, hitting every high note with confidence and style. It was a fitting symbol of a man who lived life at full volume.

It was also at the University of Arkansas that Paul first met the woman who would become the love of his life. A candid photograph captured a young and dazzled Paul gazing through a crowd at a beautiful Chi Omega being tapped into the sorority. That young woman was Mary Dupree Eldridge. What began with a glance across a crowded campus became a partnership built on love, laughter, music, family, and shared purpose that endured for more than fifty years. To Paul, there was always a special music in the name "Mary Dupree.”

Paul's career reflected his lifelong love of public service and politics. While working for the Arkansas Medical Society in Fort Smith, he became involved in Dale Bumpers' successful 1970 campaign for governor. He later joined Senator John McClellan's Little Rock office and played a key role in McClellan's 1972 Senate campaign, spending countless hours traveling Arkansas with the senator. Afterward, Paul returned to McClellan's office before leaving politics for a time to work at Union National Bank.

Politics eventually called him back. In 1977, he took leave from the bank to work on Ray Thornton's campaign for the U.S. Senate. Although Thornton was unsuccessful, Paul remained deeply involved in Arkansas politics, volunteering in Bill Clinton's early gubernatorial campaigns and later working on David Pryor's successful 1984 U.S. Senate race.

Loyalty was one of Paul's defining qualities. If Paul had a hobby, it was collecting friends, and each one knew they could count on him, especially when times were difficult. That loyalty drew him back into national politics in 1992, when he volunteered for Bill Clinton's presidential campaign. After Clinton's election, Paul left his successful lobbying practice in Little Rock and partnered with fellow Arkansan George Kopp in Washington, D.C., believing the new administration would need trusted relationships within the business community. For much of the next eight years, Berry & Associates maintained offices in both Washington and Little Rock.

Paul's greatest gift was bringing people together. Alongside his cousin George Eldridge, he welcomed countless Arkansans to Washington through dinners, cocktail parties, and barbecues—many hosted at the home of friends Peggy and John Richardson. Those gatherings became legendary among Arkansans working in and around the Clinton administration and reflected Paul's remarkable ability to build lasting friendships and meaningful connections.

When Clinton left office in 2001, Paul and Mary returned home to Little Rock, where they built Berry & Associates into one of Arkansas's most respected lobbying firms before retiring together in 2020. Even in retirement, Paul remained what he had always been—a mentor. A lifelong Democrat, he freely shared his wisdom with rising leaders of both parties, whether over dinners at Doe's Eat Place or the famous Kimiri lunches with young Republicans. He believed political differences should never stand in the way of friendship, respect, or helping someone succeed, and he lived by that belief throughout his life.

That belief extended beyond party lines. Paul helped elect his friend Mike Beebe as governor and later became one of the first Democrats to support Asa Hutchinson’s successful gubernatorial campaign when Beebe’s term ended. For Paul, friendship and character mattered more than party.

Whether he was singing “Danny Boy,” hosting friends around a dinner table, or introducing people who would become lifelong friends themselves, Paul had a rare ability to make everyone around him feel welcome and valued.
More than anything, Paul will be remembered for his generous spirit, unwavering loyalty, infectious laughter, beautiful singing voice, as a masterful storyteller and extraordinary gift for bringing people together. He leaves behind a legacy of enduring friendships, public service, and a life lived with warmth, integrity, and joy.

The family will celebrate Paul’s life on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. All who knew and loved Paul are welcome to attend.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in Paul Conrad Berry’s name to the Clinton House Museum, clintonhousemuseum.org, the Arkansas State University Veterinarian School at astate.edu or the University of Arkansas Giving website, www.giving.uark.edu, and selecting "In Memory of" and typing "Paul Conrad Berry." Gifts will support the Creative Writing program at the University of Arkansas. Gifts may also be made to the University of Arkansas in memory of Paul Conrad Berry by mailing checks to - Gift Administration, 481 S. Shiloh Drive, Fayetteville AR 72704. Please write “In memory of Paul Berry” in the memo line. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com