Jerome R Berner

Jerome “Jerry” Raymond Berner, age 74, went home to be with the Lord on January 18, 2021 at Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. If you were blessed enough to know “Jerry”, there is no doubt you have at least one story about him making you laugh with his quick wit and charm. He used humor to make people smile and to lighten up the darker moments of life. He was great with the “one-liners” that he would deliver with a straight face and drop out of nowhere at the perfect time. It is no surprise that he made friends everywhere he went.

Jerry was a proud “Pittsburgher” and a die-hard Steelers fan. He was born in the Morningside neighborhood of the “Steel City” on March 14, 1946 to the late Raymond Berner and Alice (Fleming) Berner. Although he did not live in Pittsburgh for his entire life, he always considered it home. He grew up with his older brother William “Bill” Berner and with many beloved cousins close by who felt like siblings as well.

Jerry was happiest when he was being of service to others. He was a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps Reserve and could often be heard shouting “Oohrah!”. For 26 years, he served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a State Trooper with integrity, honor, and respect. During his time as a trooper, he received forensic training in crime scene photography, document examination, fingerprint analysis, as well as handwriting analysis. He also attended training at the FBI academy. With his expertise, many crimes were solved, and many court cases were won. Jerry also obtained his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University Pittsburgh.

After retirement, Jerry continued to bless others by volunteering in his community. He drove the home-bound van for his church, making sure that everyone had the opportunity to come and worship together; he volunteered at the Hershey Medical Center, spending most of his time with pediatric oncology patients; he loved serving meals to the homeless through the city mission. Even when he could not drive any more, he would do small acts of kindness for others like always having cold Cokes in the fridge for the mailman or walking the newspaper to his friend’s door.

Left to cherish his memory are his two daughters, Lisa May and her husband Scott; Jolene Stephens and her husband Eric. “Papa” will be deeply missed by his granddaughter Ellyanna Stephens, who was his best buddy. Jerry is also survived by his brother William Berner and his wife Marjorie, and their two daughters Carolyn and Jill. Surviving also is his former spouse, Rita (Lorenzo) Berner. He was predeceased by his parents Raymond Berner and Alice (Fleming) Berner.

A celebration of Jerry’s life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to JDRF (Type 1 diabetes research) at www.jdrf.org. The family wishes to thank the wonderful friends and staff of Saucon Valley Manor in Hellertown, PA for their care and love.

Psalm 91:4 “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”