Catholic schools’ angel found his place in heaven

By Ron Brocato, Sports
Clarion Herald

Although the memory is  22 years old, I vividly remember as though it happened yesterday: While walking up the Kirsch-Rooney Stadium bleacher stairs toward the pressbox for a baseball game, I passed Milton Retif, a graduate and supporter of Jesuit’s prep and American Legion teams.

“Sit down a minute,” he requested. “What are you working on now that the school year is almost over?”

I told him that I had just finished writing the copy for a football history book, and was trying to find a publisher.

I had hawked the idea to a local publisher, whose perception of the project was a coffee table photo book. My vision was a history book with photos.

Because we didn’t share the same views, I shook his hand and thanked him for his time.

Upon hearing my tale, Milton Retif said, “Well, why don’t you publish it yourself?”

When I told him of the cost involved in such an undertaking, he was unfazed.

“I can find you the funding. I’ll phone you in a few days,” he replied.

Somewhat stunned, I thanked him for his kindness and consideration and resumed my climb to the press box.

True to his word, Mr. Retif not only found funding but a bank that would work with me to see the product to fruition.

The book “The Golden Game: When Prep Football was King in New Orleans,” became a reality and was, according to the marketing lady at Barnes & Noble Booksellers,  which hosted a book signing on Aug. 7, 2002, the store’s No. 1 seller during the months leading to Christmas, exceeding the sales of author Tom Clancy’s latest novel of that period.

It wouldn’t have happened without Milton Retif. But that was who the man was, because the word “no” was not in his vocabulary.

He loved God, the Catholic Church and, foremost, Catholic education. And the fact that he was a successful businessman, enabled him to help many who called upon him for help.

Mr. Retif passed away on Sept. 21 at the age of 92 after a lifetime of touching the hearts of thousands of young and old people.

One of his great loves was baseball, a sport at which he excelled as an All-Star shortstop at Jesuit (1951) and at Tulane from which he graduated in 1955.

He might have had a professional career like many New Orleans athletes who went on to the major leagues. 

But, he wisely went to work as a sales trainee at Esso Standard Oil and set the foundation for a long career as owner of Retif Oil and Fuel distributor.

Put career on hold

But even that had to wait when, in 1966 he saved Tulane baseball from becoming a club sport. 

Tulane called and he answered. And within a year, he took over the baseball team as an unpaid head coach and built a winning program with just two scholarship players.

When he turned the program over to Joe Brockhoff in 1974 and returned to his business 123 victories later, Mr. Retif found other needy projects with which to get involved.

His fundraising and charitable contributions provided invaluable assistance to Catholic schools on whose boards at Jesuit, Archbishop Shaw, Archbishop Rummel, De La Salle, Ursuline, Mount Carmel, Dominican, Christian Brothers and St. Dominic he served.

Mr. Retif remained as a consultant for Tulane’s baseball program and was a strong proponent of American Legion baseball, for which he sponsored two teams: Retif Oil and Fuel (Jesuit) and Refuel (Shaw).

When Legion baseball was in its final years as a staple of summer sports in the city, Retif Oil and Fuel remained major sponsors.

Mr. Retif was a man who never sought praise. But those he helped have honored him as a great sportsman.

He received the Dave Dixon Sports Leadership Award from the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.

I remember the smile on his face when inductee Shaquille O’Neal came to his table to personally shake his hand.

Mr. Retif was also a 2001 inductee into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame by the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the New Orleans Diamond Club Hall of Fame, and, of course, the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame, in which his No. 27 jersey is retired.

In the years following the death of his oldest son, Milton “Mickey” Retif, he added a clubhouse next to Turchin Stadium, which bears the son’s name. Mickey was a former Tulane player and coach. 

But, his philanthropy transcended sports.

He established an endowed scholarship at Jesuit and was a benefactor at Shaw outside of sports. 

We kept in touch over the years past his retirement after leaving his oil and fuel distributorship to his son Kenny and daughters Danielle and Lisa.

He would always ask, “Do you need anything?”

My reply was, “You’ve already done everything.”

He once said, “The more I give, the more I am blessed by God.”