Bob Pestoni

1937 - 2022

Bob Pestoni
September 4, 1937 - December 26, 2021
Bob Pestoni, a third generation Napa Valley native son, died on Sunday, December 26th, at his home in St. Helena, CA. He was 84.

Bob was born on September 4th, 1937, at St. Helena Hospital into two pioneer winemaking families – the Pestoni family, originally from Monte Carasso, Switzerland, and the Domingos family from St. George Island in the Azores. Bob was raised by his parents, Henry and Lena Pestoni, on the Pestoni family ranch on Whitehall Lane in St. Helena.

As a young boy and then as a teenager, Bob's greatest joy was playing Carpy Gang Football, coached by Al Carpy. Bob often referred to the character-building advice from Coach Carpy as the core lessons that molded him into the man he became. One of his favorite teachings that he carried for the rest of his life was from a wrestling coach, "For every pin, there is a counter move to free yourself. It's your job to figure out what that move is."

His love of sports continued through St. Helena High School, where he graduated in 1956, and went on to Napa Valley College, where he played football and ran track. In 1957, Bob joined the Army and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. Of course, he immediately found his way onto the Army football and wrestling teams.

After his father's death in 1958, Bob turned the family farm's focus from dairy and chickens to hogs. Ultimately, this launched Bob's future in the recycling industry. He soon had 600 hogs and contracts in place to haul unusable food and produce from all over the Bay Area, including the Veterans Home of California in Yountville. At a hog auction, Bob met a garbage man from Pleasanton who would change the course of his life. Recognizing Bob's strong character and entrepreneurial spirit, John Petronave, a fellow hog-farmer and franchise garbage hauler, took a chance by mentoring and backing Bob to secure a waste-hauling contract for the upper Napa Valley. In 1963, Upper Valley Disposal Service was born. Bob, along with his brother, Marvin Pestoni, expanded the company to include the Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park, South Lake Refuse & Recycling, Quackenbush Compost, and a partnership with Napa Recycling & Waste Services. His work creating a system for processing wine grape pomace into certified organic compost won him recognition from National Geographic, Organic Materials Research Institute, and the state of California, to name a few.

Today, Bob is regarded as a pioneer and visionary in the waste industry, having tested and built a fully integrated company specializing in recycling, composting, waste collection and disposal, and renewable energy production. Bob was a lifelong member of the state trade association, Resource Recovery Coalition of California. This association represents hundreds of California waste haulers, waste industry experts, and the supporting industries. In 2001, Bob received the prestigious John P. Moscone Award given "for long-term exemplary commitment and dedication service to the waste industry." He also sat on advisory committees at Napa Valley College and Pacific Union College, was a former Rotarian, and St. Helena Volunteer Fireman.


Nearly a century after his grandfather, Albino Pestoni, founded his original Howell Mountain winery in 1892, Bob brought his family back into the wine business on a property adjacent to the original Pestoni ranch. The Pestoni Family Estate Winery farms approximately 56 acres of vineyard and produces estate wines honoring the family's history and traditions.

Never one to forget the people who lifted him up along the way, Bob lived his life doing the same. Giving countless people a second chance by believing in them when they had difficulty finding their own path, he provided a reliable job, health insurance, good pay, and a sense of doing the right thing.

Bob will be remembered for his warmth, generosity, and infectious smile. He was quick to greet anyone who walked into a room and made them feel welcome at his table. Most of all, he genuinely loved people and life. He will be deeply missed.

Bob is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sylvia; his four children Andy, Greg (Aimee), Christy (Eric), and Jon (Wendy); six grandchildren Rico, Matteo, Lucia, Dominic, Ennio and Massimo; his brother Marvin (Charlene); and his best friend since the second grade, George Steinauer.

Donations in Bob Pestoni's memory can be made to: Saint Helena Athletic Association, Carpy Gang Football, and The Boys & Girls Club of Saint Helena and Calistoga.

A celebration of life will take place in the spring at Pestoni Family Estate Winery.