Andrae Berry

"The purpose of life is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Beloved Toledo icon and restauranteur Fifi Berry made her peaceful transition to heaven on October 21, 2022. She was born Andrae Brown on Sept. 13, 1943, to Dorothy and Paul Brown, the youngest of their four daughters.

She was especially close to her maternal grandmother, Emma Parr, who died in 2005 at the age of 105. She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents and two of her sisters, Sondra Parr Parkman and Paulette Frazier.

She is survived by her beloved daughter, Kelley Brown of Toledo, sister Raquel Haynes of Los Angeles and niece, Sherie Simons of Toledo. Fifi devoted her entire life to her daughter who was born with special needs by ensuring she had the best education, care and life experiences.

A graduate of Scott High School, Andrae relocated for a time to New York City to become a model and worked in the entertainment business. It was during this time that she acquired the name Fifi, affectionately christened by a friend who thought "she looked like a Fifi."

The name stuck and her persona expanded over the years. Becoming Fifi was like playing a movie role but even better because underneath the glamour was a heart of gold. Her beauty, style and taste were exceeded only by her grace, thoughtfulness and charm. She could outdo any movie star with her larger-than-life image and personality. While she may not have been world famous, she was a star in every sense.

During her time living in The Big Apple and also through her travels to other metropolitan areas, including New Orleans, Detroit and Chicago, she was exposed to many of the worldly attractions and cultural delights of some of the most exciting cities in the world. These included gastronomy and the art of pairing fine wine with gourmet delicacies.

Taking inspiration from her great Aunt Willie Mae Allen whose culinary skill was prized, Fifi took delight in cooking and entertaining. Based on her remarkable talents, many people encouraged her to open her own restaurant, which eventually became a major component of her identity for 32 years.

While her entrepreneurial spirit and business sense could have allowed her to establish an eatery in a larger metropolitan area, she never forgot where she came from. She cultivated her image and reputation for bringing the very best in fine dining to northwest Ohio.

She opened Fifi's Tidbits and Spirits off Airport Highway and Bernath Parkway in South Toledo in 1980 specializing in small plates with a lounge atmosphere. Based on demand, she expanded the bays of the restaurant, added posh accoutrements and offered a full-service gourmet menu, renaming the venture Fifi's Restaurant and Lounge. The establishment was an extension of her home and she was a natural born entertainer and hostess.

By 2005, her eponymous restaurant became the only Toledo restaurant to have three stars from the prestigious Mobil Travel Guide for 15 years in a row. Also in 2005, she received the Ohio Restaurant Association's Lifetime Service Award, which was presented by retired Blade food editor and personal friend, Mary Alice Powell.

Ms. Berry closed and sold the restaurant in 2007. When the buyer faced business problems, she reopened as Fifi's Reprise. Eventually she made the difficult decision to permanently close her beloved enterprise in November 2012.

Fifi was a former president of the Northwest Ohio Restaurant Association. Demonstrating her natural leadership abilities, she collaborated with other local restauranteurs to create an annual fundraiser that provided scholarships for youth to study culinary arts. This visionary program assisted with cultivating the talents of future food industry professionals.

Her eponymous South Toledo restaurant defined sophisticated dining for more than a generation. Also through her establishment, she provided mentorship to several chefs who went on to create their own fine dining ventures, including John Wesley and Matthew Weston.

Giving back to the community was important to her and she supported local charities both personally and through her business. These included organizations that provided services for people with disabilities and animal welfare.

Aside from the passion she demonstrated through her restaurant, Fifi was most happy and proud to be an exemplary mother to her daughter, Kelley, which became the most important and fulfilling responsibility of her life. Customers also became close with Kelley, who was a constant presence in her Mom's posh eatery. Instead of keeping Kelley at home or putting her into a program for those with intellectual disabilities, Fifi made the conscious decision to provide for Kelley and to raise her at home. Kelley was employed in the restaurant, thus creating an opportunity for patrons to learn more about those with special needs.

Indeed, the mother-daughter dynamic duo became just as much of an attraction as the culinary creations, cocktails and live entertainment. Fifi and Kelley never forgot anyone's name and made every guest feel like a VIP. This was a key to Fifi's longtime success as an extraordinary business woman as well as an underlying foundation to the countless friendships she established and maintained throughout her lifetime.

These friendships, based on a foundation of trust and confidence, fulfilled her and she lived her life by the motto, "To have a friend you have to be a friend." These close relationships included her best friend of over five decades, Lucy Anton. In addition to Lucy, Fifi leaves behind countless friends around the world to treasure her memory and to carry on her legacy.

In addition to close friends who often became like family, she was devoted to her blood relatives and treasured her personal relationships with family. In her limited spare time, she enjoyed shopping, gardening and spending time at the casino.

She will always be remembered for her incredible knack to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary by focusing on that little something extra! Life will move on, but at least the memories are forever.

The family would like to thank the Franciscan Care Center, Cremation Society of Toledo, and Newcomer Funeral Home. Tributes are suggested to the Ability Center, Kind Hearts Hospice, or Toledo Animal Rescue.