PESTRITTO, Joseph (Joe)

Today's News-Herald, Lake Havasu City, AZ - Published Thursday, March 29, 2012 - Joseph (Joe) Pestritto March 18, 1926 — March 29, 2012 Joseph (Joe) Pestritto was born March 18, 1926, in New Britain, Conn., to “Sicilian” parents, Salvatore and Angelina Pestritto. He leaves behind his wife, Kathy; daughters, Lynda (Steve) Manning, of Apache Junction, Ariz., Pamela (Tim) Bitson, of Oro Valley, Ariz.; son, Christopher Pestritto, of Perris, Calif.; step-daughters, Lois (Rick) Peloquin, of Gresham, Ore.; Barbara (Peter) Forney, of Upland, Calif.; Teresa Ball, of Upland, Calif; Jackie Ball, of Avondale, Ariz.; 24 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and his sister, Connie. Joe served in the U.S. Navy in 1942, enlisting at the age of 16 after convincing his parents to sign for him. He served as a gunner aboard the USS Winfield Scott, a destroyer in the Pacific Theater and was a part of the invasion of Salerno, Italy, for which he received a commendation for his outstanding service. Joe and his first wife, Dawn, moved from Connecticut to Pomona in 1961 until her passing in 1978. Joe operated his own independent insurance agency for 15 years from which he retired in 1991. In Pomona, Joe was an active member of St. Madeleine Catholic Church, serving as Lector and Eucharistic Minister and member of the church choir. He was president of the Italian Catholic Federation for three years and another three years as San Gabriel Valley District’s president. Joe and his wife, Kathy, were married May 11, 1979, at St. Madeleine Catholic Church in Pomona, Calif. After retiring, Joe and Kathy move to Lake Havasu in 1993. He remained active as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister for four years and as a member of the choir until his health required him to step down. Joseph was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Mary and Nellie; and wife, Dawn; and son, James. There will be a rosary at noon Saturday, followed by a memorial mass at 12:30 p.m. at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. As per his wishes, his body has been donated to science. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Joe’s memory to Hospice of Havasu or the Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church.
Posted by mhenderson on March 30, 2012

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