Arthur Anthony Bernardi, age 93, formally of Butler, passed away Saturday, May 28, 2022, at The Grand Residence at Upper St. Clair, surrounded by his loving family.
Born September 6, 1928, in Clairton, Pa., he was the son of the late Alex and Mary Capponi Bernardi.
Art was a graduate of Clairton High School and Thiel College. He earned his master’s degree from The University of Pittsburgh.
Arthur was a United States Marine Corps veteran, serving from 1951-1953.
He was a schoolteacher for the Butler Area School District for 25 years, a guidance counselor, and athletic director until 1989 when he retired. Art was the head varsity football coach for the Butler Golden Tornado from 1961-1985.
After retiring from Butler, Art became an assistant football coach at Slippery Rock University from 1990-1995. He also coached football for the South Butler Wildcats midget football team, where he coached his two grandsons from 1996-2008.
Arthur served as president of the Golden Tornado Foundation from 1996-2014. He also founded the Butler Football Mothers Club and the Butler Quarterback Club. In addition, he was a member of the field house project in 1996. Art also served as a Butler School Board member from 1998-2012.
Art received many honors for his achievements. He was selected for several Sports Hall of Fame groups in Butler, Thiel College, Pennsylvania, and the National High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame. One of his greatest honors was having the Butler High School stadium named Art Bernardi Stadium.
As a devoted member of All Saints Parish, Saint Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church, Art sang in the choir and served many spaghetti dinners to the community.
A loving father, Art is survived by three daughters, Leslie Sunseri, of McDonald, Pa.,Trish Renwick and her husband, Jeff, of Evans City, and Sharon Puz and her husband, Rodger, of Mount Lebanon, Pa. He adored his eight grandchildren: Dante Sunseri, Carlo Sunseri and his wife, Elise, Lynsi Show and her husband Jonathan, Luke Renwick and his wife, Kristin, Lea Poremski and her husband, Anthony, Logan Renwick, Ryan Bacco and her husband Matt, and Allison Puz. Art was blessed with eight great-grandchildren: Jaelyn, Adelyn, and Everly Show, Arthur and Grace Renwick, Cassius and Cruise Sunseri, and Carson Bacco.
Art was preceded in death by his three sisters and his wife of 67 years, Shirley L. Bernardi, who passed away June 6, 2019.
There will be no visitation.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, May 31, at 1:30 p.m. from All Saints Parish, Saint Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church, 432 Center Ave, Butler, with Rev. Kevin C. Fazio officiating.
Entombment will follow in Butler County Memorial Park Mausoleum.
Arrangements were entrusted to the care of Martin Funeral Home, Inc., 429 Center Ave., Butler.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Butler Golden Tornado Scholastic Foundation, Inc., 110 Campus Ln., Butler, PA 16001 or www.goldentornadoscholasticfoundation.org
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