"Dr. Ed" passed away at age 75, soon after discovering he had an aggressive form of cancer. His last conscious day was spent with his usual smile and good cheer, and he was eager to meet Jesus, who he had studied and followed for many years.

Ed was the eldest son of Baldassaro Salvatore Berretta of New York and Virginia (Bierman) Berretta of North Carolina. Sal and Virginia married after WWII ended and the pair settled in New York, where they had met. Ed would later have a brother and sister, Fred and Kathy. He grew up in Brooklyn, on a street of row houses where the kids played "stickball" in the streets. His love of baseball grew from childhood, and his little league team won the New York City Championship in 1959. He was the first in his family to go to college, and was an unusual sight around the neighborhood carrying stacks of books under his arm.

Graduating from Lehigh University in 1969 with a chemical engineering degree, Ed worked for NASA's Apollo Mission before going to Albany Medical School, where he met Jeanne Smith, of Condon, Oregon. They married in 1973 in Condon. Both became physicians. Their careers took them many places: Alabama, Connecticut, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, and finally Washington, where they lived for the last twenty seven years. They had three sons and a daughter, and the family visited many interesting places as they travelled for medical conferences. Ed and Jeanne served eight years in Heppner, Oregon, staffing the clinic, nursing home, ER, and hospital. After relocating, Ed commuted to Morrow County and Gilliam County in times of need. Even in his final year of life, he continued to answer the call of the region that depended on him, working remotely as Morrow County Health District's Medical Director and Emergency Medical Services supervisor.

Ed enjoyed practicing medicine and solving the challenges that patients presented. He had an understanding of the body as a work of engineering: the interconnectedness, its strengths and weaknesses at different ages, and the innumerable complications that could occur in each situation. The job was never over for Ed, and he was known to resuscitate people while enjoying some rare leisure time. Grateful patients would thank him, and on one memorable occasion a man brought his wife to Ed's table at a restaurant so they could express their gratitude. When a patient couldn't be saved, Ed carried a strong remorse. If he saw the family of the deceased, he would approach them and say that he was sorry and let them know he had tried everything possible.

Ed attempted to keep his belongings in pristine condition, and typically succeeded. He left the emblazoned logo on his baseball caps long before it became a celebrity trend. His medical journals and books numbering in the thousands were kept orderly, even as they took up more and more space. He lived a simple life, rarely buying new cars or unnecessary things and using an old wooden desk for his paperwork.

He was a consistent attendee of church each week, and was most recently a member of the Independent Bible Church in Port Angeles. He was interested in the Shroud of Turin, any game or news featuring the New York Yankees, the stock market, fishing, hunting, sailing, and spending time with family.


He had friends and family spanning the Northwest, the Midwest, the Southeast, and stretching to the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean. He enjoyed being part of the team most recently at the Clallam County Jail, and made friends in the Sheriff's Department. Ed gained more friends as he spent his final months in the care of the Port Angeles Emergency Department and Swedish Medical Centers in Seattle and Issaquah. They saw to Ed's comfort and wellbeing until his final transport home. He was quick to joke with his doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants, or thank them for their effort.

He leaves behind his wife, Dr. Jeanne Berretta, three sons, Matt (Yuliya), Vince (Yedida), and Nick, and daughter, Gretchen (Stefan). He has six grandchildren with another expected later this year.
A ceremony will be held at Independent Bible Church on April 29, in Port Angeles at 2:30 p.m. with a dinner reception immediately following. The service will be live-streamed from the IBC website and can be accessed by going to ibcofpa.org and scrolling to Sermons and Media and selecting LIVE on their YouTube Channel.

Arrangement were entrusted to Drennan & Ford Funeral Home in Port Angeles. Please sign the online guestbook for his family at www.drennanford.com .