Louis Berardi

Passed away unexpectedly on August 21, 2026. Louis is predeceased by his parents, Joseph & Dora Berardi; in-laws, Guido & Angelina Santucci. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Deborah (Santucci) Berardi, daughters, Tara (Larry) Masci & Shana (James) Valerio; grandchildren, Angelina Marie, Alex Loreto, James Louis & Maria Dora; brother, Joseph Berardi; sister, Anna Rita (Domenic) Maiola; sister-in-law, Karen Santucci; aunts, uncles & cousins in Italy, Australia & Canada; many nieces & nephews; dear friend and his selfless living kidney donor, Sylvia Nicholson.

Lou was born the first generation of his family in America to Italian immigrants from Celano, Italy. He was deeply proud of his Italian heritage and the values his family instilled in him. He attended Holy Family Elementary School and Bishop Kearney High School, where he played football, trumpet, and even took center stage as the star of the school musical, Show Boat. From an early age, his personality and smile were impossible to miss.

He was a man of many passions. He loved Lionel trains. Every Christmas, Lou would create a train display for family, friends and especially his grandchildren to enjoy. He loved Westerns and anything cowboy, cheered passionately for the Green Bay Packers, and could often be found enjoying a good cigar while listening to Frank Sinatra or Pavarotti.

Lou was also a proud plumber and home builder. For more than 40 years, he owned and operated his own plumbing business, Berardi Plumbing, building a career through determination, skill, and an incredible work ethic. He believed strongly in the value of hard work and took great pride in providing for his family. He also believed that being on time mattered. In his world, there was only one standard, “Lombardi time.”

Throughout his life, he faced more than his share of health challenges. He lived with diabetes, underwent quadruple bypass surgery, and ultimately received a kidney transplant. Yet if you met him, you would never know everything he had been through. He carried those challenges with incredible strength and determination, rarely complaining and never allowing them to define him. He simply kept going.

Above all else, he was a family man.

Lou adored his wife of 50 years, and their life together was built on love, loyalty, laughter, and devotion. He loved his two daughters fiercely and made sure they grew up knowing the values that mattered most to him: work hard, be loyal, take care of your family, and always do the right thing. But when it came to his four grandchildren, his heart seemed to grow even bigger. They were his pride and joy, and he loved them more than anything.

Lou was fiercely loyal and devoted to the people in his life. Family and friends could always count on him. He loved spending time at his shop, cutting the grass, riding his tractor, hanging out in his garage, and talking with his buddies. This was usually with a cigar in hand and a story ready to tell. He never needed much of an excuse to strike up a conversation, share an opinion, or deliver one of his legendary one-liners.

And then there was his laugh.

Lou had the biggest smile and the loudest, most infectious laugh. When he laughed, everyone around him knew it and usually couldn’t help but laugh along. He had a natural ability to make people smile, often with a perfectly timed wisecrack or a joke that only he could deliver. He lived his life with tremendous pride in his family, his work, his traditions, and the people he loved.

Louis’ life story will be shared during visitation, 4:00-7:00pm on Thursday, August 27th at the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30am on Friday, August 28th at Our Mother of Sorrows Church, 5000 Mt. Read Blvd. Entombment in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, NY. Memorial donations can be made in Louis’ name to the National Kidney Foundation or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.