Gary A. Pettigrew

Gary Alvin Pettigrew passed away peacefully Sunday night at his home in Benicia, following several years of failing health. He was born in Los Angeles to Robert and Helen Pettigrew but has called Benicia his home since he was 18 months old. Gary graduated from Benicia High School in 1971 and always thought back on high school as some of the happiest years of his life. Aside from a few brief stints spent elsewhere in California, Gary was a "Benicia boy" through and through. One of his favorite nostalgic pastimes was to "drag Main".
Gary played both football and baseball in high school and semi-pro baseball in southern California after graduation. He married Susan Oller in 1976, becoming an instant father to Melissa; their daughter Carrie was born in 1977. In early adulthood, he loved to hunt with his dogs Simon and Beau and to fish for sturgeon in the Carquinez Strait. He loved to go camping and hunting and enjoyed playing golf for many years with his brothers Louie and Bill DiAngelo and his brother-in-law Jerry Porter. He worked for almost 30 years as a boilermaker for Chevron Refinery in Richmond before retiring in 2004.
After reuniting with high school sweetheart Lynn, they were married in 2017. Since then, the greatest joy in their life was simply being home together. They were fond of their monthly family card game with Gary's sister Dorothy Patchell and her husband Bill as well as sisters-in-law Gale and Sue DiAngelo. Gary was an avid fan of both the 49ers and Giants. One recent outing they really got a kick out of was attending a 2023 NFC playoff game where the Niners beat the Dallas Cowboys.
He found simple pleasure in his daily routine: watching reruns of Gunsmoke, tackling the daily crossword puzzle, continuing the tradition of dragging Main and relaxing on the pier off First Street.
Gary is survived by his wife Lynn Pettigrew; daughters Carrie (Dave) Wenslawski and Melissa Moore-Pettigrew; and granddaughters Jocelyn and Kaitlin Wenslawski, Marcella Ramos and Taneia Cooper. He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Pettigrew; brothers Louie and Bill DiAngelo; and sister Dorothy Patchell.
Visitation will be Wednesday, December 4th from 4-6 p.m. at Passalacqua Funeral Chapel. Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 5th, also at Passalacqua Funeral Chapel. Burial will be private. Please visit the online tribute at www.passalacquafuneralchapel.com.