Pietro "Pete" Ortenzi

 

 

 

A gentle soul has left us.  Pietro “Pete” Ortenzi, age 58, of Hershey, Pennsylvania passed away peacefully on Friday, June 28, 2019 following an extended illness.

 

 

He was born on February 23, 1961 in Hershey, son of Antonio and Shirley Ortenzi.  He graduated from Hershey Senior High School in 1979 and worked for The Hershey Company for a majority of his life.  Pete devoted his spare time to friendship, fun, Notre Dame football, cruise travel, coaching children, and playing basketball, softball, and golf.  He worked part time at the Hershey Country Club.  Pete attended HACC in Lebanon where he earned a license as a Certified Nursing Assistant.  He spent the past ten years on the west coast in California where he was self-employed as a private home health aide.

 

 

Pete was preceded in death by his father, Antonio “Tony” Ortenzi.  He is survived by his mother, Shirley (Landis) Ortenzi of Hershey; his sisters, Linda Ortenzi, Theresa “Terry” Zimmerman and brother-in-law Mark; a brother, Anthony Ortenzi; his nephews, Matthew Moyer and wife Angie with their children Mallory, Lincoln, and Norah, Brad Moyer and wife Leah with their son Breckin, and TJ Ortenzi and wife Lindsay Dorrance with their children Braith, Lewis, and Annabel.  In addition, he is survived by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

 

 

Those who loved him will tell you Pete was a generous spirit with a huge heart, kind with a quick smile, a devoted son, and mostly optimistic with his own brand of honesty.  He despised hypocrisy and had no problem speaking his mind; but was always willing to give anyone a second chance.  He would give you the shirt off his own back.  Basketball mothers still talk about him because he believed everyone on the team deserves a chance to play.  Pete was a lover of sports, Notre Dame, travel, good food and drink, pop culture, cologne, hot weather, and the sun.  He is loved and will be sorely missed.

 

 

A visitation will be held Thursday, July 11, 2019 at 2:00 P.M. followed by a memorial service at 3:00 P.M. in the Buse Funeral Home, 145 North Grant Street, Palmyra, Pennsylvania.

 

 

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Central PA, 1320 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17110.