Ralph John Berni

Dr. Ralph J. Berni died on Tuesday morning, February 28, 2023, at the age of 91. He was predeceased by wife, Joan McGuire Berni; parents, Victoria and Louis Berni and Jeanne and Henry Hillstern; sisters, Madeline Schneider, Mildred Schneider, and Betty Russell; and brother, Raymond Berni.

He is survived by wife, Marilyn Didier Berni; children, Ann Berni Lockhart (Wayne), Ralph “Hank” Berni (Cindy), Erin Berni Kuster (Josh), Karen Walker Ridgeway (Greg), and Brian Walker; twelve grandchildren; eleven great grandchildren; and brothers, Nolan Berni and John Berni.

Born in November 1931, he was raised by his Uncle Henry and Mama Jeanne in New Orleans in the 9th Ward. They raised him to be an outstanding son, husband, father, and grandfather. He gave us all unconditional love and many happy moments. As a loving husband, he was committed to the promise of support in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. He was our precious father for his children who loved unconditionally and taught by being a great role model. He loved bouncing his grandchildren on his knee and singing songs.

Ralph was a humble man who never boasted about his accomplishments. He was a longtime government chemist who played a leading role in the development of wrinkle-free cotton in the 1960s. As a high school student at Francis T. Nicholls High School, he was an editor for the school paper, sang in stage plays, graduated at the top of his 1948 class, for which he was elected president.

Dr. Berni graduated from Louisiana State University in 1954, with a Bachelors in Chemistry, and received his Masters of Science (1961) and PhD (1966) from Tulane University.

Dr. Berni was part of a team at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, that advanced chemically-treated cotton — including “wash and wear,” “durable press” and “permanent press” fabric, allowing cotton to compete with synthetic fibers. He published dozens of peer-reviewed articles and has over 25 U.S. patents. In the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Berni directed the 34-member Agricultural Research Service's Composition and Properties Laboratory at the USDA facility near City Park. Following his retirement from government service, he taught chemistry at Loyola, Tulane, UNO and Southern Universities.

Dr. Berni was a longtime board member of the Louisiana Section of the American Chemical Society with over 60 years of service. He was recognized by the National Cotton Council for his research on Cotton and Cotton Dust that was a significant benefit to the United States cotton industry. He was active in science education as President of the Board of The Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair 1979-82.

He was active in the Catholic Church and for his service, he received the Order of St. Louis medal. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus for over 50 years and could be spotted working in the food pantry, delivering meals to the elderly, and collecting money for charitable organizations.

He loved golf, football, playing softball, crossword puzzles, singing showtunes, Hallmark movies, dancing, and the racetrack. He also loved chocolate and was known to hide it around the house. He was a great man and his wife and family will miss him.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass in the chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans, on Monday, March 6, 2023 at 12:00PM. A visitation will be held at the funeral home beginning at 10:00AM. The interment will follow the Mass at All Saints Mausoleum (in Metairie Cemetery).

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Ralph’s memory to Ochsner Health Nursing Education and Grant Fund.

To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com