Raymond H. Berndt Sr.

Raymond H. Berndt, Sr. Age 94, formerly of Indianapolis, passed away from natural causes in South Bend. Ray was born in South Bend, IN, to John and Agnes Eichstadt Berndt. On September 29, 1945, he married Rose J. Lukacs, who preceded him in death in 1999. In 1934, Ray was among the first workers at Studebaker Corp. to join the fledgling United Auto Workers Union (UAW), helping to form the new Local 5. In 1948, Ray was elected Regional Director of UAW Region 3, spanning IN and KY, and was re-elected to that office every two years until his retirement in 1972. As Regional Director, he molded his office into a politically effective advocate for working men and women. A 1955 issue of Fortune Magazine listed Ray as "...the person you need to see if you want to be elected to political office in Indiana." Ray played pivotal roles in the elections of Congressmen John Brademas and Andy Jacobs, Senators Vance Hartke and Birch Bayh, and Governor Matthew Welsh, among others. Under Ray's leadership, Region 3 became the largest UAW region in membership with over 150,000 members. Ray was the first UAW Board Member to integrate his staff, and he participated in the now famous 1963 Civil Rights March in Washington, D.C. For his leadership and years of effort in the Civil Rights movement, Ray was awarded a lifetime membership from the NAACP. Of his many other accomplishments, Ray was proudest of having been the one to introduce the concept of fully paid health insurance for all UAW workers and their families. After retiring, Ray moved from Indianapolis to Mt. Dora, Florida. There, with the help of his wife Rose, he founded and for 15 years chaired the UAW Central Florida Retirees Council, defending the rights of retired UAW workers and their families. Ray devoted 70 years to the Union cause, and he will always be remembered as a tough and dedicated advocate of the ordinary working man and woman. Ray and Rose moved to Mishawaka, IN, in 1998 to be near family. Surviving Ray, to cherish his memory, are three sons and a daughter, Raymond H. Berndt Jr., Denis L. Berndt, and Judith Hartgrove, all of South Bend; and Charles J. Berndt of Indianapolis. Ray also leaves behind 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Preceding Ray in death were a son and a daughter, Edward W. Berndt and Dorothy Lowman. Zahoran Funeral Home of South Bend is handling arrangements. Friends and family may call at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 3, 2004. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Hungary Catholic Church. Interment will take place in Highland Cemetery immediately after the Mass.