Mary Sue Bernardi

Mary Sue Bernardi, a kind heart and gentle spirit, of Chester passed away peacefully on February 21, 2021, while under the watchful eyes of the very caring staff of the Pepperberry Suites. She was 88 years old.

She was born in East Liverpool, on February 20, 1933, a daughter of the late Lester John and Elizabeth Thomas Rolley.

Mary Sue and her husband Tony owned and operated Bernardi’s Restaurant in Chester from 1972 to 1980. She was a member of the 1950 graduating class of East Liverpool High School and attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church where she sang in the choir. She was employed for many years at the former Crucible Steel Corporation, Hancock County Savings Bank, and eventually retired from National Church Supply.

Mary Sue loved to sing and dance. It was not uncommon for her and Tony to stop everything and break out into song and start their favorite step, the jitterbug. Whenever she would greet someone, it was always with a warm smile and handshake. She found joy in the small things of life: a sunny day, a ride in the car, and, of course, just being in the presence of her family.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Anthony J. Bernardi, Sr.; sister, Eileen Hughes; brothers William and Robert Rolley; and nieces Patricia Hadley and Elizabeth Hughes.

Left to cherish her memory are her sons Leonard (Theresa) Bernardi of Bethel Park, PA, and Anthony (Michelle) Bernardi of Chester; grandsons Anthony Bernardi of Springhill, TN and Christopher Bernardi of Lexington, KY.; a special cousin, Ralph Turner of East Liverpool; and her four-legged friend, Katie, who greeted her every day with a smile; and many nieces and nephews.

Friends will be received Wednesday, February 24, from 4-7 pm at the Arner Funeral Chapel in Chester.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Chester on Thursday, February 25th at 10:00 am. Father Jeeson Stephan will preside. Interment will follow at Locust Hill Cemetery in Chester.

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mary Sue’s memory to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 418 4th Street, Chester, WV, 26034.

Masks will be required and social distancing practices will be enforced during visitation and the day of the service.

“Everybody knows that a good mother gives her children a feeling of trust and stability. She is their earth. She is the one they can count on for the things that matter most of all. She is their food and their bed and the extra blanket when it grows cold in the night; she is their warmth and their health andtheir shelter; she is the one they want to be near when they cry. She is the only person in the whole world in a whole lifetime who can be these things to her children. There is no substitute for her.”
― Katharine Butler Hathaway