Milton Joseph Retif

Milton Joseph Retif was born on June 10, 1932 in New Orleans and passed away on September 21, 2024. He grew up in the Carrolton neighborhood where he attended Incarnate Word Catholic Grammar School. Milton graduated from Jesuit in 1951 having captained the ’51 baseball team, was named all-city and all-state in baseball and received the Jesuit American Legion Award that year. He went to Tulane on a baseball scholarship from 1951-1955. A highly competitive shortstop, he captained the team during his junior and senior years. “Milt” Retif saved the Tulane baseball program in 1966 when the Green Wave was considering making baseball a club sport. He took over the program a year later as an unpaid head coach and produced a 123-72 (.630) record with only 2 scholarships. He coached the Wave to national prominence including a #7 national ranking in 1971. He also notably coached the first African-American student athlete (Stephen Martin) in any sport in the southeast conference. Upon his retirement he became Tulane’s winningest coach and founded the dugout club to sustain Tulane baseball. Milton is a member of the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame as an athlete, coach, and civic contributor. His #27 is retired as a player, coach, and supporter having financed the team locker room and other necessities. In 1981 he was inducted into the Tulane Hall of Fame and in 1999 he was inducted into the Diamond Club Hall of Fame which honors men who made outstanding contributions to the game of baseball. Milton Retif was inducted into the Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame in 2001. A plaque honoring Milton is displayed on the plaza level of the LA superdome. In 2005 he was inducted into the LA American Hall of Fame. In 2013 he received the Dave Dixon LA Sports Leadership Award, which selects an individual who has played a decisive role as a sports leader benefitting LA on the national and international level. He is enshrined as a member of the LA Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches. Milton Retif always credited Jesuit High School with the foundation of his success. He established an endowment fund for his deceased son Mickey Retif. In 1993 he was honored as the Jesuit Alumnus of the Year. The Board of Trustees of Manresa elected him president in 1996. Milton was the driving force behind securing the necessary financing to build a multimillion dollar presentation facility at Manresa. In 2008 he was given the Homines Pro Aliis Award (Man for Others) which is given to individuals who to an extraordinary degree demonstrates outstanding service to one of the Jesuit ministries. Retif Oil and Fuel have sponsored the Jesuit American Legion Baseball Team as well as the Archbishop Shaw American Legion Baseball Team. He has received Shaw’s Don Boscoe Award for being “a role model for youth through sports and school activities.” Because of his love and support of the school on the westbank, he was inducted into the Archbishop Shaw Hall of Fame in 2024. For a man who passed up a career in professional baseball, Milt continued to hit homeruns with customers in Retif Oil and Fuel in New Orleans. Upon graduation in 1955 from Tulane he was hired as a sales trainee with Esso Standard Oil. After 10 years with the company he became an Esso distributor. In 1979 he became the sole owner of the distributorship and changed the company’s name to Retif Oil and Fuel, Inc. Along with his family, Milton built Retif Oil and Fuel into a diverse distributorship serving the growing market in New Orleans and the surrounding area. Milton’s involvement in his community naturally included Mardi Gras. He was a member of the Hermes organization and joined the krewe of Bacchus shortly after its inception. Milton volunteered his time as a guest speaker, organizer, and fundraiser. His charitable contributions stretch from schools and churches in the local community to churches in Mexico, the Soviet Union, and Taiwan. He was a firm believer in education and sat on the boards of Jesuit, Shaw, De La Salle, Rummel, Christian Brothers, Dominican, Mt. Carmel, Ursuline, and St. Dominic. The family would like to thank the Sisters Servants of Mary for their prayers and support.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 65 years the late Phyllis Warden Retif, his son, Milton (Mickey) Retif, Jr., his parents Robert Ferdinand Retif, Jr. and Mary Chelena Retif and his brother Robert Ferdinand Retif, III. He is survived by his daughters Danielle (John) Barbara and Lisa (Mike) James; his son Kenny Retif; his daughter in law Kathy (Matt) Retif Mazanek; his grandchildren JD (Angie) Barbara, Daniel (Krista) Barbara, Travis (Courtney) Barbara, Mariesa Barbara, John Barbara, Brian Barbara, Nicholas (Sierra) James, Casie (Ryan) Dewitz, Bradley (Jackie) Bova-James, Corey (Emily) James, Michael (Brenda) Retif, Ryan Retif, Brandon (Hope) Retif, Jordan Retif, Cole Retif, Ridge Retif, Natalie (Sam) Sergio and Katherine (Jonathan) Mackay. Also survived by 24 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to give special thanks to Luciana Robertson, Sheryl Gordon, Willie Wanki, Kathy Carter, Yolanda Smith, Desireé Bertrand, Jerry Ward and Laurelee Toscano.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Visitation at St. Dominic Church, 755 Harrison Ave. New Orleans, LA on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. with Mass beginning at 12:00 p.m. Father Anthony McGinn, S.J. (celebrant)

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Mickey Retif Foundation, 740 Turquoise St. NO, LA 70124 or a gift of masses. To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit ww.lakelawnmetairie.com