Frederick Berberick Jr.

Norwich — Attorney Frederick C. “Fred” Berberick Jr. of West Hartford, passed away peacefully March 1, 2024. Fred was born in Norwich on Oct. 25, 1933, to Mary (Fitzgerald) and Frederick Berberick. He was predeceased by his wife Winifred (Mellor) Berberick; and his sister Ann Marie (Berberick) Dutilly. He is survived by his daughters, Sharon (Michael) Gualtieri of West Hartford, and Sheila (David) Casey of Mystic; grandchildren, Michael Gualtieri III, Tyler (Joanna) Gualtieri and Alyssa Gualtieri; and great-granddaughter Elawynn (Winnie) Gualtieri.

A lifelong Norwich resident, Fred and Winnie moved to West Hartford in 2014, for health reasons and to be closer to their daughters. Fred attended St. Patrick School and graduated from Norwich Free Academy in 1951. He received a bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure University in 1955, and his J.D. from the University of Connecticut Law School in 1963. Fred practiced law in Norwich at Berberick, Murphy, Devine & Whitty, retiring in 2003.

Fred was elected as a Norwich city councilor in 1965, and then as a state representative in the Connecticut General Assembly for two terms beginning in 1968, serving the 62nd District. He was the town attorney for Franklin and also served as an adjunct law professor at Mitchell College. Fred served on the New London County Bar Association grievance committee. NLCBA also honored Fred for his many years of practice.

Fred met his lifetime love, Winifred Mellor, in the sixth grade at St. Patrick School. They married in 1956 and were together for 62 years. Fred and Winnie spent time attending their grandchildren’s many sporting events, enjoying their home on Cape Cod and in Naples, Fla. The Cape held many special memories — Sheep Pond, basketball in the circle and Fred’s expert planning of the annual July 4th Family Olympics. They leave behind many friends on the Cape with whom they lunched weekly at the Hyannis Yacht Club, where the “Old Grand-Dad” bourbon flowed.

Fred was a longtime UConn men’s basketball fan and season ticket holder at the Field House, Hartford Civic Center (XL Center) and Gampel Pavilion. He enjoyed the annual trip to New York City for the Big East basketball tournament. In 1999, he attended the Final Four tournament in St. Petersburg with his grandchildren and witnessed UConn’s historic win over Duke to win their first national championship. Additionally, Fred’s hobbies included cod fishing with friends at Cape Cod and Old Grand Dad bourbon.

The family would like to thank Mirka Nowicki and Alston Creary for their loving support and care for Fred.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 7, at St. Patrick Cathedral, 213 Broadway, Norwich, with burial to follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, 815 Boswell Ave., Norwich. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to ipffoundation.org/ donate. “You will never meet a nicer guy.”