PETER JOSEPH TIRINNANZI

1928 - 2016

TIRINNANZI, Peter Joseph 87, passed away due to heart failure on April 4, 2016, in Centerville, MA. He was born in Florence, Italy, on July 3, 1928 to Conrad and Emilia Tirinnanzi and was a practicing Roman Catholic and parishioner of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Centerville, MA for 21 years. Peter grew up in Florence, Italy and moved to Dorchester (Savin Hill) in the late 1930s. He became a US citizen in 1946--the same year he graduated from Boston English High School. He continued his studies at Northeastern University while also working for the Rugo Construction Company of Boston, MA, owned by his uncle and Braves co-owner Guido Rugo. During the Korean War, he enlisted in the US Air Force and was offered an opportunity to earn a commission, graduating from Aviation Cadets in June 1953 and immediately assigned as a flight instructor to Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX and from 1954-1956 to Harlingen Air Force Base, TX. Other duty stations where Peter served in either an operational flying or instructional capacity in his 20-year Air Force career were: Kotzebue, Alaska; Keesler AFB, Mississippi; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; Lindsey Air Station, Wiesbaden, Germany; Pope AFB, North Carolina; Nha-Trang, South Vietnam; and Langley AFB, Virginia. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in Vietnam in 1969-1970, when he served in Special Operations with the 15th SOS. Peter earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1965. Peter retired from the Air Force in 1971 and continued his career working for the Veterans Administration in Washington, DC as an electrical engineer in hospital construction, finishing his career in 1991, and later relocating to the Cape Cod town of Centerville, MA to enjoy his retirement. Peter is predeceased by his first wife of 39 years, Theresa McGavin Tirinnanzi who passed away in 1993. He married Julie Ann Sonn of Washington DC on May 25, 1995. Peter is survived by his wife of 21 years, Julie Ann Tirinnanzi of Centerville, MA; four children, Rosemary (Dave) Lesser of Ogden Utah, Peter Joseph Tirinnanzi II of Marina del Rey, CA; Martha Anne Tirinnanzi of Washington, D.C.; Maryanne Tirinnanzi of Okinawa, Japan; five grandsons, Ryan (Caitlin) Greenberg of San Francisco, CA; Michael Greenberg of Boston, MA; Conrad Cesare Tirinnanzi II of NYC; Mark (Jennifer) Sonn of Knoxville, MD, Michael Sonn (Kathleen) of Willow Creek, CA, four granddaughters: Erin (Andrew) Hartnett of Providence; Jacqueline (Danny Heidtke) Tirinnanzi , Julia Kathleen Tirinnanzi, Jill Christine Tirinnanzi, all of Marina del Rey, CA; and two great-granddaughters: Samantha Rose Greenberg of San Francisco and Emily Beth Hartnett of Providence. Peter was thrilled to meet his newest granddaughter at two weeks of age who shared the name of his beloved mother Emilia Rugo. He is predeceased by his parents, Conrad Cesare Tirinnanzi and Emilia Rugo Tirinnanzi. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, April 11, 2016, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 230 S Main St Centerville, MA 02632. Visitation will be on Sunday, April 10, 2016, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Doane, Beal & Ames Funeral Home, 160 Main Street HYANNIS, MA 02601. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be directed to "Golden Retriever Foundation Shine On Challenge", PO Box 3462, Omaha, NE 68103, or

online at http://www.

goldenretrieverfoundation.org/researchcollaboration.html