Legendary Yankee and Veteran Yogi Berra Passes at the Age of 90
'It ain't over until it's over': Legendary New York Yankees catcher and D-Day veteran Mr. Yogi Berra and inspiration behind Yogi Bear cartoon dies aged 90
Lawrence Peter Berra was born in St. Louis on May 12, 1925, the son of Pietro, a laborer in a brickyard, and Pauline Berra. He grew up in 'The Hill,' or Italian district, with three older brothers and a younger sister.
Berra was forced to drop out of school in the eighth grade and go to work to help support his family. He took jobs in a coal yard, as a truck driver and in a shoe factory. He continued to play amateur baseball, which brought him to the attention of major league scouts.
In 1943, his first professional season with the Yankees' farm team in Norfolk, Va., was interrupted by World War II. He joined the Navy at age 18 and volunteered for duty on a secret mission – training to operate machine guns on a 36-foot “rocket” boat.
Yogi and his five crewmates provided cover fire on Omaha Beach, softening the German defenses to support the Allied invasion during the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
Berra married his wife, Carmen, in 1949. The couple, who met in their native St. Louis, had three sons, including Dale Berra, who played in the major leagues as an infielder.
Berra, who won a record 10 World Series championships with the Yankees, died of natural causes Tuesday at his home in New Jersey, according to Dave Kaplan, the director of the Yogi Berra Museum.
His family said: 'While we mourn the loss of our father, grandfather and great-grandfather, we know he is at peace with Mom. We celebrate his remarkable life, and are thankful he meant so much to so many. He will truly be missed.'
On behalf of The Greatest Generations Foundation and its members, we salute you for your dedication and service to our nation. We will always be indebted to you.
And of course, Berra was known for his infamous quotes - check some of those out here.
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