Beverly - Gary Monroe Bert, 70, of Beverly, passed away peacefully on February 1, 2026 at the Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Gloucester.

The family wishes to thank the Seacoast staff for their compassionate and attentive care.

Gary's indelible generosity and good humor touched every part of his life, from the boardroom to the bocce court.

Born in 1955 in Shippensburg, PA to Monroe and Chloe Shelby-Jean (Gabler) Bert Perry, Gary was a self-starter. Everything he touched he worked hard to master and to make a contribution. He gathered eggs on his family farm and loved helping out on neighboring farms. At school he competed in track and football while earning straight A's, persevering to rise above his humble beginnings to eventually graduate with an MBA from Northeastern University.

His fun-loving spirit won over future wife Helen Garrett when they met at a Parker Brothers focus group. He was the marketing researcher and she was the children's facilitator. They went on to raise two children of their own, twin boys, in Rochester, NY and Wenham, MA. A devoted husband and father, he led by example with kindness and quiet strength. Nothing was more important to him than family.

He traveled across the US and internationally working at Gillette, Bausch and Lomb, and Polymer Technology, rising to management positions and finishing his career as a senior director of national accounts at Essilor. Clients and colleagues remember his intelligence and the genuine care he brought to every relationship.

Gary's commitment to service reflected his altruistic values. As part of Essilor's Vision Mission, he traveled to Navajo Nation in Arizona to provide free eye exams and glasses. He was a dedicated member of the Hamilton-Wenham Lions Club. After retirement he continued to volunteer, rising with the sun to care for cows, pigs, and chickens at Appleton Farms, ever the farmboy at heart.

Nature was his peace and joy. He shared his love of the outdoors with friends and family on countless adventures, trekking Mount Washington, canoe camping in Maine, and exploring local Greenbelt trails.

Gary's life was one of remarkable resilience. Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's he once again channeled his knack for learning and bringing people together for a good cause, teaching himself about cutting-edge research, participating in clinical studies to help not only himself but others with the disease, and joining and starting support groups and meet-ups. At the Wenham Council on Aging he was unanimously beloved as a friendly competitor on the bocce court and for his signature move, "The Gary."

Gary leaves his wife Helen Garrett of Beverly, sons Parker Bert and Logan Bert and their partners of Montreal, Quebec, sister Denise Bert-Bender and half-brother Richard Perry of Pennsylvania, half-sisters Wenda Martin and Jeanette Layton of Utah, and his nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held later this spring. Donations in his memory may be made to Essex County Greenbelt or the Parkinson's Foundation.