Christie Orders Flags Lowered In Honor Of Yogi Berra, N.J. Resident

The Garden State honored the passing of one of its own Tuesday, when Governor Chris Christie ordered flags to be flown at half-staff after hearing about the death of Yogi Berra.

• See the full Patch obituary here.

“Yogi Berra was a national treasure and a baseball legend,” Christie stated in a release.

“Yogi’s achievements as a catcher, clutch hitter, manager and coach have inspired generations of ballplayers. His military service and his service to New Jersey, especially the sportsmanship programming he brought to the Little Falls museum that bears his name, are sterling examples of his citizenship. Yogi’s lasting legacy is how he lived his life: as a family man and a Yankee, with warm humor, unpretentiousness and integrity. On behalf of the people of New Jersey, Mary Pat and I extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the Berra family.”

The text of Christie’s executive order authorizing the flag tribute reads:

“Executive Order No. 185 - Ordering all State buildings to fly flags at half-staff on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 in recognition of the life and in mourning of the passing of Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, a World War II veteran, Major League baseball player, coach, philosopher, and longtime resident of Montclair, New Jersey.

“In 1943, Yogi Berra traded his minor league baseball uniform for a Navy uniform and bravely defended our country as a machine gunner on the USS Bayfield during the D-Day invasion at Normandy. Yogi Berra made his Major League Baseball debut for the New York Yankees in 1946.

“Throughout his distinguished career, he won ten World Series Championships while playing for the Yankees, appeared in fifteen All-Star Games, and won three American League Most Valuable Player awards.

“Yogi Berra earned an honorary doctorate from Montclair State University, which is also the site of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, as well as Yogi Berra Stadium.”

• See related article: Montclair Mourns For Yogi Berra
• See related article:White House To Yogi Berra: It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over
• See related article:8 Top ‘Yogi-isms’ From ‘The Great No. 8,’ Baseball’s Yogi Berra
• See related article:Yogi Berra’s Montclair Home On the Market for $888K