Bernadette Marie Piscatella

BERNADETTE MARIE PETRI PISCATELLA

“I married the nicest person I ever met.”

-----Joe Piscatella

Bernadette Marie Petri Piscatella was born on August 15, 1944, in Tacoma, Washington, to Michael John Petri and Mary Doyle Petri, and died in the arms of her husband, Joe Piscatella, on December 1, 2025, in Gig Harbor, Washington.

At birth she was welcomed by three sisters – Mary, Betty and Joan – who, after seeing the movie “The Song of Bernadette,” promptly named her Bernadette. She was known as “Bernie” the rest of her life.

Bernie grew up near the top of Carr Street hill, overlooking the Puget Sound, in a family rich in love, faith, and support. She attended St. Patrick School (where she later taught third grade) and graduated from Aquinas Academy (now Bellarmine Prep) where she formed lifelong friendships with “the Aquinas girls.”

A social person who genuinely loved people, Bernie was generous with her time and an empathetic listener. She was deeply committed to the Tacoma community. She belonged to Junior League, served on the board of Bellarmine Prep, took part in two book clubs, volunteered at her church and was part of a close-knit group of friends that hiked Mt. Rainier’s trails every year for more than 30 years. Her kindness, patience and love of all things good showed through in everything she did.

Bernie was resilient. She lost her father at 16; her mother was not well, and her sisters were already out of the house, so Bernie learned how to manage the house on her own. When it came time for college, Bernie flew to California by herself, rented a car and drove to Santa Clara University, where she registered herself in the second class of women to ever enroll at the school. At Santa Clara, Bernie formed cherished friendships, staying connected through annual get-togethers and weekly Zooms for nearly 60 years. She was proud to have served on the committee that created a women’s scholarship from the Women of the Class of 1966.

During her junior year abroad in Rome, Italy, she met Joe, a junior year abroad student from Connecticut. On their first date she offered to sign him up for speech therapy because of his New England accent. Their time together in Rome was magical as they traveled throughout Europe, and Joe became the love of her life. The relationship they began in Rome would last six decades.

After their marriage, Bernie and Joe lived in Chicago. Following the birth of their two children (Anne and Joe), they returned to Bernie’s beloved Puget Sound to raise their family.

Bernie and Joe faced a harrowing moment when Joe, at age 32, needed coronary bypass open-heart surgery. Their children were just six and four years old. As Joe was wheeled into surgery, Bernie handed him a note that said, “You have left my side, but you shall never leave my heart.”

The surgery was completed but the prognosis was not good. One doctor told them Joe would probably not live to age 40. Bernie would have none of that. She told Joe, “You can’t change the cards you were dealt but you can change the way you play them.”

Together they committed to a lifestyle of healthy living, exercise and mindful eating. Bernie was magic in the kitchen, transforming familiar recipes into healthier versions without sacrificing taste. In 1982 Joe published his first of 18 books, “Don’t Eat Your Heart Out.” Bernie contributed over 200 recipes that quickly became fan favorites. The book sold over one million copies and became a “bible” for cardiac patients. Over the next few years, Bernie contributed original recipes to six additional books.

Professionally, Bernie was at the top of her game supporting Joe’s books and helping thousands of readers. The result was that she had a great impact on how cardiac medicine was practiced. Instead of drugs and surgery as the only options, doctors began to prescribe Bernie’s way of family eating. Bernie’s perspective on healthy eating was a key to an emphasis on prevention that is practiced today throughout the country.

As successful as Bernie was professionally, her greatest passion was her family. Her life was defined by her generosity, deep faith, a love of the water and mountains, and the extraordinary love she shared with Joe. Their nearly six decades together were a partnership built on devotion to each other. As Joe often said, “Bernie was the answer to a lifetime of prayers.”

Bernie loved Joe, their children and their spouses, Anne Vaughan (Patrick) and Joe Piscatella (Jill), and her four grandchildren Joey, Katie, Mary and Joe. She was always ready to hike the mountain, pull the boat for water skiers, drive carpool, cook favorite recipes (especially her chicken soup) or to simply spend time together.

She offered sage advice with grace, love, a warm smile, and a twinkle in her blue eyes. Bernie will be remembered as a loving and supportive wife, mother, mother-in-law, sister and friend. She was kind to all, a great listener with a wonderful sense of humor and a humble nature, a beautiful person inside and out. She could hike with the best of them, cook a “killer” spaghetti, host multiple birthday parties, plan a never-to-be-forgotten wedding, sit through her kids and grandkids soccer games in Northwest weather, and give honest critiques to Joe of his book drafts. She will be missed but our memories are awesome.

Bernie is preceded in death by her parents, Mike and Mary Petri, her sisters Mary O’Keefe and Betty Hedreen, and her brothers-in-law Lou Imhof and John Piscatella. She is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Joe, and their children and spouses, Anne and Pat Vaughan, and Joe and Jill Piscatella, and four adored grandchildren, Joey, Katie, Mary and Joe. She also is survived by her sister, Joan Imhof, and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws – including the O’Keefe, Hedreen and Imhof families.

In lieu of flowers, friends are encouraged to make a donation to Bellarmine Preparatory School’s Fr. Jerry Chapdelaine, S.J., Scholarship Endowment in memory of Bernadette Piscatella.

A Funeral Mass to celebrate Bernie’s remarkable life will be held on Friday, January 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Saint Patrick Church, 1001 North J Street, Tacoma, WA, followed by a celebration of life at Fircrest Golf Club, 1500 Regents Blvd., Fircrest, WA.