Gerald "Jerry" L. Pellegrini Sr.

Jerry Pellegrini, age 78, passed away on July 12, 2022. He was born on May 9, 1944 to the late Alvin and Beatrice Pellegrini. Jerry is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Helen Donnelly Pellegrini. He was the proud father of Gerald Pellegrini ll (Lisa), Kerry Pellegrini (Jeanine), Dawn Pellegrini, and Tara Pellegrini Roberts (Michael). His beautiful grandchildren are Gerald Pellegrini Ill, Kristen Pellegrini Crifasi (Joseph), Jourdin Pellegrini, Lauren Pellegrini Mancia (Oscar), Maycie Melerine, Rickey Melerine, Jobie Pellegrini, and Layla Roberts. His great-grandchildren are Karlie Marie, Robert Thomas, and the late Stella Lauren. Jerry is also survived by his sister Brenda Pellegrini Hernandez, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Jerry was a barber, a boxer, and a school bus driver. He established Pellegrini’s Barber Shop in the early sixties and it has been proudly serving the St. Bernard Parish Community for over 55 years - a popular family business, which his son, Kerry, continues to operate.

Jerry was employed by the St. Bernard Parish School Board as a school bus driver. He drove the children proudly and safely for 26 years. Jerry retired from driving in 1995.

Boxing was also a family business for The Pellegrini’s. Jerry’s late father Al and oldest brother Alvin were fairly accomplished boxers, but it was Jerry who became the most accomplished and also a popular local attraction, selling out crowds at the Municipal Auditorium and later at the St. Bernard Civic Center. The young Jerry had striking good looks and the kind of "put away power” that many of the New Orleans’s better boxers lacked. Jerry’s professional record of 28-12-1 with 12 knockouts might not be indicative of his overhand right, which was something that every opponent was keenly aware of. Jerry rose to the number 3 ranking in the 147-pound class. A hand injury sidelined his career in 1971.

Jerry was a charter member of the St. Bernard Parish Hall of Fame, and was proudly inducted in 1994 as the first inductee. He was also inducted into the Louisiana American Italian Sports Hall of Fame that same year. Above all of these great achievements, his greatest was the love he shared with his wife and his family. He was a devoted husband and a loving father with a huge heart for God. He supported his family in each endeavor. He will be missed by his family, as well as his extended family and friends.

A visitation for Jerry will be held Tuesday, July 19, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at St Bernard Memorial Funeral Home, 701 W. Virtue St., Chalmette, LA 70043, followed by a funeral service from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stbernardmemorial.com for the Pellegrini family.