Ernest R. Varalli

​Born in Milmont, PA, he was the son of the late Raphael and Luisa (Mastrogiacomo) Varalli. A proud veteran, Ernie served as a Sergeant in a mobile hospital with the 45th Division, 189th Field Battalion during the Korean War. Following his service, he earned his undergraduate degree from La Salle University and his master’s degree from Drexel University and he was an alumnus of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management program.

​Ernie’s distinguished career in the railroad industry began in 1951 in the mailroom of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Over the next five decades, he navigated the company through the historic Penn Central bankruptcy and remained with it through its successful reorganization into the Penn Central Corporation. He concluded his storied career at the spin-off Buckeye Pipeline, retiring in 2004. He was a respected financial leader and the General Editor of the book Crossroads of Commerce.

​An avid golfer, gardener, bowler, and traveler, Ernie was a long-time member of St. Davids Golf Club in Radnor. Above all, he was a "family first" man who cherished time at his home in Berwyn and vacationing with his family at the Jersey Shore.

Ernie is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Margaret (Peggy) Kelly Varalli, his son, Ernest R. Varalli Jr, and his siblings, Josephine Diehl, Ida Dolan, and Anthony (Tony) Varalli.

He is survived by his children, Margaret Boright (Alec), Ann Varalli McClelland (Robert Christopher), Joseph M. Varalli, and Anthony C. Varalli, his sister, Eleanor Sullivan, and his grandchildren, Megan Boright Newman (Brian), Lally Boright Dissen (Mark), Caroline McClelland (Diego), and John J. Varalli, and his great-grandchildren, Bode, Rory, and Locke.

A viewing will be held on Sunday, January 18th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm at Alleva Funeral Home, Inc. (1724 E Lancaster Ave, Paoli, PA). A viewing will be held on Monday, January 19th at 10:00am with a Funeral Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11:00am at St. Norbert’s Parish (6 Greenlawn Rd, Paoli, PA). Burial will follow at SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery in Springfield, PA.

​In Lieu of Flowers donations may be made in Ernie’s memory to Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice https://giving.mainlinehealth.org/ways-to-give/main-line-health