It is our sad duty to inform our supporters of the passing today of Joseph W. Berning, Class of ’73. Joe had faced a number of health issues and was hospitalized several times since the pandemic.

Earlier this year, PHC presented Joe with the first John P. Rice Courage Award, named for late PHC president John P. Rice. The Award honors its namesake and an individual who demonstrates exemplary devotion to the child-saving mission of Milton & Catherine Hershey. Joe was hospitalized at the time that PHC Board member Bob Chalmers traveled to Harrisburg to present the Award. The inscription on the plaque commemorating the honor reads as follows: “In recognition of over three decades of service devoted to preserving the child-saving mission of Milton & Catherine Hershey, during which he demonstrated courage, selflessness, and unflagging commitment despite great adversity and with no thought of material reward or self-gain, Protect The Hersheys’ Children, Inc. hereby bestows upon JOSEPH W. BERNING the John P. Rice Courage Award, named for the late John P. Rice, whose own commitment to the Hersheys’ mission also exemplified these qualities.”

As anyone familiar with MHS history during the last half-century knows, Joe was a legend in athletic circles, excelling in multiple sports, and returning to the Home to serve as a volunteer wrestling coach and assist MHS wrestlers in upper-weight divisions. Joe was also a regular attendee at MHS wrestling matches and served as a one-man booster club, encouraging generations of wrestlers and never reluctant to let officials know when they were giving the Brown & Gold short shrift.

Joe was also instrumental in the alumni effort to gain MHS program and governance reforms, for which he paid a heavy price. This included ostracization and being snubbed for alumni honors and recognition that might otherwise have come his way. When Joe was threatened with personal attack if he would not join in a trumped up campaign to remove MHSAA reform activist leaders by persons acting at the behest of the MHS Board, Joe’s answer was an unprintable expletive: Joe was loyal to a fault and possessed of singular integrity, defended at times with a salty tongue. That one of the MHSAA leaders whose removal was sought was John P. Rice is a fitting touch: Joe was the first recipient of an award named for John.

We salute our brother in arms, Joe Berning, and we send him off as the hero he was. We also rededicate ourselves to speaking the truths that landed Joe in disfavor but that must continue to be spoken, until the leadership, governance, and program dysfunction that have long plagued MHS are gone. Godspeed, Spartan. And to our supporters, we thank you for continuing to have faith in us. We know we have not communicated very often of late. The reasons include the heavy toll that defending against the punishment inflicted on us by MHS has taken, about which we will have more to say in due course. In the meantime, we wish everyone a safe and pleasant holiday season and we ask that you keep Joe’s family and friends in your thoughts.

Sincerely, Protect The Hersheys’ Children, Inc.