Father Ralph L. Besendorfer, a priest of the Rockville Centre Diocese, died Jan. 8 on Long Island. He was 82.

Born in Brooklyn, he was baptized at Nativity Church, Bedford-Stuyvesant, attended Cathedral College, and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington. He was ordained May 30, 1959 for the Brooklyn Diocese at St. James Pro-Cathedral by Bishop Bryan J. McEntegart.

He served as assistant at St. Aloysius, Bushwick, 1959, and St. Barbara, Bushwick, 1959-62, before serving as assistant chancellor, 1962-65.

After post-ordination studies, he was assigned to the staff of the Diocesan Tribunal, where he served until 1976 when he joined the staff of the Military Ordinariate Tribunal.

In 1982, he was incardinated into the Diocese of St. Augustine, Fla.

He moved to Long Island four years ago.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Jan. 14 at St. Bernard’s Church, Levittown, L.I.

Burial was in St. John’s Cemetery, Middle Village.