James Berry “Berry” St. John, Jr. of Springfield, Virginia, died on July 4, 2026, at the age of 85 after a long illness.
He was born in Sanford, FL, on December 14, 1940, the son of the late James Berry St. John and Marion Appleby St. John. He is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Mary Ann Newman St. John; his son and daughter-in-law, James Berry “Jay” St. John, III and Stephanie Hill Williams St. John of Alexandria, VA, and grandchildren Paige Elizabeth St. John and Julian Hill St. John; and his son, Matthew Rogers St. John of Kalispell, MT, and grandchildren Natalie Grace St. John and Sawyer James St. John.
Berry attended the University of South Carolina on a Naval ROTC scholarship and graduated in 1962. He was assigned to Navy flight training and received his wings of gold in 1964. He served as a pilot with squadron VS-28 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Wasp and later flew in Navy Reserve Squadron VP-94, based at NAS New Orleans.
He studied at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans and received his JD degree in 1970. He practiced law in New Orleans for 34 years with the firm of Liskow & Lewis, and founded the firm’s environmental law section. He was a recognized authority on the Federal Clean Water Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the law governing offshore oil and gas operations, and argued cases throughout the country involving these statutes.
He served on the practitioner faculty at Tulane School of Law and was frequently listed in the publication “Best Lawyers in America” in the fields of Environmental Law and Natural Resources Law. He served as chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Law and as president of the New Orleans Bar Association.
Berry had a lifelong interest in aviation. He and Mary Ann owned an antique Stearman open-cockpit biplane, and they enjoyed many years of fun and excitement flying it around the country.
After Berry’s retirement from the practice of law, the St. Johns moved to eastern North Carolina, where they enjoyed an active retirement in the Cypress Landing golf and marina community on the Pamlico River. In 2019, they moved to Greenspring Senior Community in Springfield, VA.
A memorial service will be held at Greenspring Chapel at 1:00 PM Saturday, July 25. Family and friends are welcome to a gathering in Hunter’s Crossing Conference Center immediately after the service. Inurnment of ashes will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a date and time to be announced later.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Berry St. John to Christ the King Anglican Church, Alexandria, VA.
