Francis Walter Pedrotty III

1949 - 2022

PEDROTTY, Francis Walter, III, Surrounded by his family, Francis Walter Pedrotty III returned to his eternal home on September 24, 2022. Also known as "Skeeter/Skeets/Skeet" by his large family; "Frank" by his colleagues and friends and "Habibi" by his beloved caretaker, Lily, he will be sorely missed by many. Born in Philadelphia on March 3, 1949, the oldest child of Francis Walter Pedrotty Jr. and Veronica Burke Pedrotty's eight kids, he was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Noel; and brother, Leo. He is survived by brothers, John and Terry; and sisters, Colleen Miele, Ronnie Beth Stanley and Christine Brown, whom he whole-heartedly rallied to see one final time at the very end. He was also preceded in death by his parents-in-law, Carl and Jane Grace, who adored him.

He deeply loved his wife, Barbara Grace Pedrotty; and four children, Carla "Carly" Elizabeth Grace, Daniel "Danny" Francis, Rebecca "Becky" Jane and Matthew "Matt" Nicholas, with understanding, commitment and complete dedication. He was a loving father-in-law to Kevin Conlon, Sally George Pedrotty, John Cowen and Ryan Pedrotty. He was proud "Poppop" to eight lucky grandkids, Makayla and Mariah Pedrotty, Caleb, Gracie Lu and Lane Cowen and George, Frankie (his namesake) and Tommy Pedrotty.

He loved hard, and in action. He was a committed husband and died just short of celebrating their 50-year anniversary with his beloved wife. He was a profoundly dedicated and engaged father. He helped pack school lunches every morning and read books at bedtime every night. He took his children to church every Sunday. He went door-to-door with his daughters for entire Saturdays selling Girl Scout cookies. He yelled mightily on each of his kids' sidelines, never missing a second of any of their sports events. He stolidly went camping with his family numerous times, confessing years later that he hated every second of it.

His life was marked by a long and impactful career as an attorney, after attending St. Joseph's University for undergrad and Villanova Law School. Ever a champion of honorable causes, he began his career in Delaware County, Pa., working in the Public Defender's office. He worked 36 years for the Commonwealth of Virginia's Attorney General's office, retiring in 2018, as a Senior Assistant Attorney General. He represented the Commonwealth with integrity and distinction as a prosecutor and as a defense counsel in both state and federal courts. As chief of the Health Professions Section beginning in 1990, he prosecuted some of the most difficult and complex cases involving healthcare professionals, from standard of care violations to patient abuse. He was a proud veteran of the Air Force, where he served in the JAG Corps. In one particularly high-profile case, he worked alongside co-counsel, F. Lee Bailey. As a young Captain, he found himself standing up to a General and the Pentagon, ardently defending his client and what he knew to be right. And he won. Years later, he ultimately retired as a Colonel. To say he was hard-working is an understatement.

He loved history and traveling, immersing his beautiful spirit in many places including living in Columbia and Mexico as a student, as well as Spain, Italy and Bosnia. He traveled far and wide, from Iceland to Eswatini, Budapest remaining his favorite spot. Well, after Richmond, Va., that is, which he called home.

He masterfully played and loved basketball and played regularly at the Richmond downtown Y well into his older years. He had unsurpassed passion and intensity both on and off the court, a product of both nurture - hailing from a fierce large family; and nature - intrinsically in every fiber of his being.

His integrity seemed effortless and knew no bounds. He was fearlessly dedicated to doing the right thing, across a broad swath of contexts - safeguarding a Mets fan at Citizens Bank Park, against a belligerent fellow Phillies fan's threat and defending a colleague who was encountering harassment and in need of help. His bravery even led him to volunteer for the church nursery when he learned there was a need. If we weren't there or she hadn't told us, we never would have even known about these examples. His courage and integrity was practiced in immense ways as well, like when he wholeheartedly accepted an assignment in war-torn Bosnia in 1998 to 1999, to help instill justice and restore peace.

If it is true that the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge, Frank's final days also bear testament to the caliber of his character. He bore disabling pain with unending courage.

He lived without guise or pretense. He felt and expressed emotions fully and unabashedly. When he was angry that the lawn mower wouldn't start, his profanity echoed across the lake. When he returned home from work, you could hear his jubilant singing from inside the house. When the Phillies walked guys and the Eagles blundered, neighbors could hear him yelling with a fervor unknown even by most Philly fans. He laughed easily and uproariously.

He was a passionate, brilliant, hard-working man of integrity and extraordinary talents but by far his most powerful was how he loved. He was radically accepting, forgiving, understanding and loved in deed. When he made mistakes, he humbly made amends. He loved how we all want to love and be loved.

We are comforted that he is at peace, but our worlds will never be the same without the physical presence of his love and wisdom. We are beyond lucky to have been his. A memorial service will be held October 8, 2022 at 11 a.m., at St. Giles Presbyterian Church, 5200 Grove Ave., Richmond, Va. 23226. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Skeeter/Frank/Poppop may be made to stayrva.org or ourmilitarykids.org.