D. ROBERT BAROZZINI

BAROZZINI D. ROBERT
94, died Sunday, May, 27, 2012. Beloved husband of the late Rae (Calabrese); loving father of Robert, Jr., James R. (Diana) and Karen McArdle; eight grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild; loving brother of the late Mary Bazala, Michael, James, and Florindo. Mr. Barozzini was one of the premier executive chefs in Western Pennsylvania and was known and respected throughout the restaurant and country club industry. He retired from Churchill Valley Country Club in 1990. He started his cooking career when he enlisted in the Conservation Camps, which were established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 and he became a cook. This is where he first developed his skill as a cook for large numbers of people, sometimes cooking for as many as 300 people at once. He left the Conservation Camp in 1938 and came to Pittsburgh where he worked in various restaurants. In one of the restaurants (The Culinare), he met and married Rae Calabrese in 1940. He got his first big job in 1941 as head chef in the restaurants in Kaufmann's Department Store on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh. While working at Kaufmann's, he met A.J. Donadeo, who was the general manager of Churchill Valley Country Club, which was a very small country club in the Penn Hills area of Pittsburgh. While still working at Kaufmanns, Mr. Barozzini began working part-time during the weekends at Churchill Valley Country Club for several years. In 1950, Kaufmanns' employees went on strike for a year and he never returned to Kaufmanns. In 1951, Mr. Barozzini began working full-time at Churchill Valley Country Club and in 1955, Mr. Donadeo offered him the executive chef position, which he accepted. During those years from 1955 until he retired in 1990, he and Mr. Donadeo built the Club into one of the most prosperous and famous in Western Pennsylvania. Churchill Valley Country Club became known all over for its excellent food. He and Mr. Donadeo developed a system in which they would serve fantastic meals to as many as 500 to 800 people at a time. The food always got to the customers' tables steaming hot, no matter how many people were served. He also was a master ice sculpturer. For weddings and banquets, he would sculpt large blocks of ice into bowls for shrimp and crabmeat and he would sculpt various exotic large birds such as flamingos and eagles for decorative purposes. He once sculpted a sleigh and six reindeer which were displayed outside of the front entrance of the Country Club. The hard work and dedication of Mr. Barozzini, Mr. Donadeo, and all of the employees enabled Churchill Valley Country Club to expand and become a large and attractive facility. The Club was always so busy that people would have to book a wedding or banquet two to three years in advance. Mr. Barozzini also prepared dinners for many famous people, including Princess Grace, Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, and the TV journalist, Ted Koppel to name a few, as well as many famous entertainers. He remained a lifetime member of Churchill Valley Country Club until his death. Mr. Barozzini, "Pap" as he was so lovingly called, loved his family and work and devoted his life to both. Family and Friends welcome Thursday 6-8 and Friday 2-4 and 6-8 at WILLIAM SLATER II FUNERAL SERVICE, 1650 Greentree Road, Scott Twp. Mass of Christian Burial Saturday 9:30 in St.Catherine of Siena Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to St. Catherine of Siena Church, 1810 Belasco Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15216.
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