Edward Pirrotta

Edward "Ed" R. Pirrotta, age 69, of Spicer, died Wednesday morning, April 3, at Rochester Methodist Hospital following an extended illness. A memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, April 8, at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church in Spicer. Friends may visit from 9:30 AM until time of service at the church on Monday. Interment will be in the church cemetery immediately following Mass. Military honors will be provided by the Willmar American Legion Post #167. Memorials are preferred to Hope Lodge at 411 2nd Street NW, Rochester, MN 55901. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Green Lake Funeral Home in Spicer. (www.petersonbrothers.com) Edward "Ed" Richard Pirrotta was born on December 18, 1943, in Camden, New Jersey, the son of Andrew and Anna (Staszewski) Pirrotta. He grew up in Camden, attended Catholic schools and graduated from Gloucester Catholic School. Ed was drafted into the U.S. Army in1964, and he was stationed in the DMZ in Korea for 13 months. Ed entered college in 1966 at Mankato State University, graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business Education. He attended the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University for a Masters degree. On August 19, 1967, Ed was united in Holy Matrimony to Tomi Jean Buckingham. They made their home in the Willmar and Spicer communities and shared over 45 years together. They were blessed with three children and three grandchildren: Lori (Elliott and Anna-Jean), Anthony "Tony" (Anthony "AJ") and Andrew "Andy." Ed taught carpentry at Ridgewater College from 1972 to 2003. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Willmar for several years then joined Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church after moving to Spicer. He served as a religion teacher for many years. Ed was a member of the American Legion Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Elks Lodge, Little Crow Country Club and numerous other organizations. Ed's greatest gift to those he loved, his family, friends and community, was volunteering his time and talent for design and carpentry. In keeping with his competitive spirit, Ed enjoyed golf, playing cards, scrabble, and games of chance. He is survived by his loving wife, Tomi of Spicer; three children, Lori (and Michael) Walz of Broken Arrow, OK., Tony (and Monica) Pirrotta of New London and Andrew Pirrotta of Spicer and three grandchildren, Elliott R.E. Walz, Anna-Jean L. Walz and AJ Pirrotta. Also surviving are three brothers, Andrew (and Carol) Pirrotta of Sewell, NJ., Anthony Pirrotta of Glendora, NJ., and Louis (and Lisa) Pirrotta of Spicer; three sisters, Veronica (and William) Kenney of Haddon Heights, NJ., Josephine (and Jack) Comly of Coral Springs, FL., and Eleanor (and Joseph) Scarduzio of Sewell, NJ.; and a sister-in-law, Patricia Pirrotta of Collings Lake, NJ., besides many other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Colagero "Joe" Pirrotta.