He was the beloved husband of Rita A. (Giugliano) Pitochelli to whom he was married for 69 years. Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Ernest and Clara (Porcaro) Pitochelli.

He was the father of Ernest F. Pitochelli Jr. and his wife Deborah, and Diana Pitochelli; grandfather of Stephanie Pitochelli McVay, Ashley Pitochelli Iorfida and her husband Mark Sr., and Jake Pitochelli and his husband Michael Steinberg; step-grandfather of Charles, Andrew and Jonnathan Wesley; great-grandfather of Ariana Iorfida, Mark Iorfida Jr., Juliana McVay and Joshua McVay. He was the brother of Edward Pitochelli, Anna Romano and the late Frank Pitochelli.

Mr. Pitochelli served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He had served as the AMVETS Post 9 RI State Commander, the National Finance Officer for 12 years and was elected and appointed as the National Commander from 1980 to 1981. He had the opportunity to meet with President Jimmy Carter, President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II as a Representative of the AMVETS National Organization. 

He was highly engaged in local politics, helping and caring for many local people's rights in the Town of Johnston. He served on the Johnston Town Council for 12 years.  

Not Just a Good Man, but a Great Man that Cared Deeply for Others and to always do the Honorable and Proper Thing. 

His funeral will be held Friday at 8:00 am from the ROMANO FUNERAL HOME, 627 Union Avenue, Providence, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:00 am in St. Rocco Church, 927 Atwood Avenue, Johnston. Burial with military honors will be in the RI Veterans Cemetery, Exeter. Visitation Thursday 4-7 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org