He was born to Robert and Patricia Berra on November 21, 1955, in Saint Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Lindbergh High School in 1974. He attended the University of South Alabama on a baseball scholarship after being recruited while he was playing in the Junior College World Series. It was in Mobile that he met the love of his life, Karen. They were married on October 24, 1981.
Chris's career in law enforcement spanned 41 years, beginning with six years in Prichard before joining the Mobile Police Department. He attained the rank of lieutenant in 2006 and retired in 2018. He was remarkably good at being able to leave "The Job" at work at the end of his shift. Still, you would never see Chris with his back to a door. He continued his interest in baseball and softball beyond his college years, playing in several softball leagues and tournaments. That is, until a new obsession presented itself: golf.
Chris loved to be with his wife and children as often as he could and as often as working extra jobs to provide for his family would allow. Several of his children's friends found in Chris a second father and an open invitation to drop by. In the latter years, Chris and his wife took a semi-annual trip to Gatlinburg to enjoy nature, sample moonshine, and forget where they parked their jeep.
His deftness at practical jokes and pranks was well known among his friends and family. That same deftness, experienced anonymously, was held in disfavor by the administration of the University of South Alabama and a few members of the Mobile Police Department. The family can no longer recall the details of certain incidents.
Chris is survived by his wife, Karen, son, Robert (Laura) Berra, daughter, Marisa (Andrew) Murray, sister, Anita Blankenship, grandchildren Chloe, Christian, and Colin, as well as his nieces and nephews.
The Berra family wishes to express their gratitude and appreciation for your presence, prayer and companionship in Chris’s life and his passing.
Visitation will be held on Monday, December 30, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at Radney Funeral Home-Mobile . Funeral services will begin at 12:00 Noon in the funeral home chapel. Interment will follow in Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery (5115 Brushy Creek Rd.), Lucedale, Mississippi.
