On this day, January 2,2023 May Pat and his family know that we keep them in our prayers and thoughts each day. Pat was special to us. Happy Heavenly New Year🎊

The first time I met Pat was in the 7th grade at Edwin Markham Junior High School. Mr personality! We graduated Willow Glen High School 6 years later. What stuck with me about Pat over the years was just what kind of person he was. Here is my recollection. Pat was genuine, kind, caring, compassionate. He was so active in so many things and was very talented. 
Over the years I would come into contact with Pat at our High School Class reunions. I was always nice to say hello. Pat and I did not generally hang together in school but always friendly when ever we would see each other. 
Pat was Mr personality and left a lasting impression. 
When this popped up this morning I could not help but stop and let you, Pats family know what a difference maker he was to so many of us that for a short time we’re privileged to be in his company.
Bill Dodge

I remember Pat well while studying Materials Science/Engineering at SJSU in the mid '80's.  He had a lot of enthusiasm for the subject.  I recall Linda Clements had some stories to tell of their time together at NASA.    Sorry to hear of his passing.
John Hogg 
Larkspur, CA.

This evening, I attended a San Jose State University event where I learned about the untimely passing of Dr. Pat Pizzo. I had seen him at such event ten or so years back. So, I was looking forward seeing him again. 

I was a student in the Materials Engineering program at San Jose State University in the late 90’s where I had the privilege of being one of Dr. Pizzo’s student. He was a wonderful and caring person who had a positive impact in the career of many of his students. One of his many gifts was his ability to teach and to connect. He told us that he didn’t want to work at a research university or industry because he enjoyed teaching. He made his lectures interesting such as the time he told the story of The Princess and the Pea so that we could better understand the stress atoms felt inside a matrix. In an introduction to Materials class, where he had about fifty students, he brought his own microphone and speakers so that everyone could hear him and facilitate learning. 

When I took his Metallurgy class, he encouraged and guided two classmates and me to enter the 1998 ASM-IMS International Metallographic Contest where we won first place. He was also involved in the Materials Student Club and High School outreach program. He would invite his students to come with him and talk to local high school kids about our path from high school to college to encourage them to attend college. He told a story of his high school teacher telling him that he was no college material, which drove him to succeed in his academic career and encourage others to do the same. 

I am posting a picture of Dr. Pizzo taken when he worked at GE, which I found in the Materials Student Club in the late 90’s and the picture shown at the SJSU event. I will forever remember his kindness. My deepest condolences to Diane and rest of the family.


Pat Pizzo was a wonderful person and I feel so gifted to have known him a little. I knew him as a scientist and a judge at the Synopsys Championship for many years.  He supported students in their explorations of science and engineering.  I was delighted to discover that he was also interested in native plants and he spent a great deal of time and energy planting natives in median strips and abandoned places.  His memory will live on in so many different ways.  Peace to his family and loved ones. 

Hello dear Pizzo's and Huddlestun's,
I am sorry to hear of Pat's passing and wanted to share how grateful I was of Pat.  I had the privilege of sharing Garden Parent duties with Pat and my Mom, Rebecca for a year (or was it two?) while my son and his granddaughter were in grade school together. Really I just handled logistics and Pat came up with all the fun activities.  He and my Mom had a great time together with the kids.  He convinced me to do a feast for the kids with our harvest of lima beans, which I did NOT think they would eat.  So there we were in Hacienda's kitchen whipping up pasta with lima beans, garlic and olive oil and they ate it ALL.  After I got to know him, I noticed his frequent letters to the editor in the Mercury News.  I am grateful for the time he shared with us and all the energy he put into making San Jose a better place for all of us.
Sincerely,
Shannon

Pat Pizzo inspired many, including myself, to adopt native plants into our home and public landscapes. His passion, dedication and generosity are all qualities I will strive to share in my transplanted home on the Front Range of Colorado.  Every winter when I return to visit family in Almaden, I look forward to  visiting the gardens that he advocated for, installed and maintained, to see how the plants have flourished. Pat will live on in the hearts of many who only knew him through the roots he planted in the community he dearly loved. 

Pat Pizzo was one of a kind and he will be very much missed. His enthusiasm was contagious and I loved to hear him tell about all the things he did with California natives and with the Martin-Fontana Park. It’s only in reading some of the other comments and tributes that I realize he he did so much more and touched so many lives. Pat  did great good work in this valley.

I was happy to know Patrick, one of my dad's cousins.  I saw him ever so often at family picnics and other family happenings.  He was very cheerful, encouraging, friendly and pleasant to be around.  He always showed an interest in those around him.  He came to visit us at our house one time when my Uncle Victor was in town and brought us donuts.  He will be missed!  This photo is from a family picnic in 1999.  He is right in the middle with the chartreuse green shirt on, holding one of his grandkids.

I came to the US from Taiwan in the summer of 1982 to study for my M.S. degree at San Jose State University. Dr. Pizzo was my most caring and dedicated professor and became a lifelong advisor and friend after my graduation in 1984.  
Dr. Pizzo played a very critical role in my life and he was involved in many “firsts” of my life.  
I took my first Material Science and Engineering class with Dr. Pizzo. He was very energetic and extremely patient and used different approaches to teach me until one of them finally clicked.  
Dr. Pizzo was a very family-oriented individual. He warmly invited me to share lunch and dinner at his house, where I met Diane, Amy and Michael – my first experience of American culture and lifestyle.  
Dr. Pizzo helped me to get my first job as a Research Assistant with NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View. I designed many experiments using the creative knowledge and hands-on approach that I learned from him.  
He was my advisor for my M.S. thesis studying the corrosion of Aluminum-Lithium Alloy and he encouraged me to publish my thesis in Corrosion Journal of Science and Engineering and, in 1985, took me to present the paper in Boston.
I worked for multiple high-tech companies in Silicon Valley and currently at Xilinx.  Whenever I was considering changing jobs, I talked with Dr. Pizzo because he had valuable insight and always provided good advice. 
 I am just one of the many people who have received help and advice from him – he always welcomed you with a positive attitude and unselfishly provided his opinion based on his own real-life experiences.
During holiday season, we would get together and talk about personal and global events together.  The last time we met, he showed me pictures of his grandchildren and shared with me all of their accomplishments - he was so proud of all their achievements.  
I am very lucky to have known Dr. Pizzo and am forever grateful for everything he did for me and my family.  
Dr. Pizzo, I really miss you!

Pat was a good friend to my Dad, Walter Mounts...and, I considered Pat to be a friend of mine, too.  My father was an Equipment Technician in San Jose State's School of Engineering, Department of Materials Science for 25 years.  When Patrick was a senior, Dad worked closely with him to put together Pat's senior project.  Their common knowledge and shared experience in the Willow Glen neighborhood, helped to cement their relationship.   When Pat left for graduate school, he and my Dad stayed in touch.  Pat's hiring as a teacher at SJSU was a high point for my father.  They worked together for a few years, until Dad retired.  Post retirement, Dad and Pat stayed in touch.  When my father passed away in 2015, Pat and Ralph Parkman spoke at Dad's memorial service.  I am very appreciative on Patrick's friendship with my Dad.

I met Pat in the 7th grade and we met in Mrs Murie’s Homeroom class.
I always remembered Pat even at the age of 12-13 what a happy, friendly and sincere guy, that would give you the shirt off of his back.
He was one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure to know. 
All the way through high school even though we were not hanging out buddies, there was never a time when Pat would pass in the hall, he would always say hi and acknowledge you in some way.
He truly was one of the good guys, accordion and all.
If there was ever a classmate who made a difference, it was Pat. He was loved by all.
To his family, you were truly blessed.

          My condolences to your family on the loss of such a wonderfuI man and Patriarch.  It just seemed to me as if  he would always be here  as a permanent fixture in our neighborhood and perhaps on some level he will be.   
          With closed eyes, I can still picture  him watering and caring for the plants and trees along our neighborhood perimiter.  Always amazed to see his dedication and passion for those plants.   When friends would visit we would be sure to show off his work, walking around the neighborhood together looking at the plants that he had labeled and cared for. 
           Beyond that, he was just the sweetest and nicest person with a smile that could brighten anyone's day.  In fact, its hard to picture him without his infectious smile. 
          On a personal level, I had the pleasure of teaching his grandchildren piano for many years.  It was then that I realized what a wonderful family he had.   From the moment I met them they struck me as truly unique and special.  
          Ryan and Megan, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.  You are  blessed to have had such a wonderful Grandfather and we are all blessed for having known him. 

Before I retired as the science teacher at the Hacienda Environmental Science Magnet School in San José Unified  School District, I benefitted greatly from Pat's knowledge of native plants as we developed the school's Outdoor Classroom.  The area features the plant communities of the Santa Clara Valley and surrounding foothills.  Additionally, Pat planted and cared for a number of specimens in the Outdoor Classroom.  Besides using his expertise with native plants, Pat shared his engineering backround in an encouraging manner as a coach for a school robotics team.  The students, including his grandchildren, Megan and Ryan, were fortunate to have had such an involved and energetic volunteer in their lives.
We will all miss him. 

I was shocked to see that Pat passed away. He has always been a friendly face at the park where he worked so hard to keep plants alive and well. He always smiled, always said hello. When he was asked a question about plants he always had an answer.  He'll be sorely missed.   

Rest in peace Pat, and thanks for all you did. 

Gail 

    John and I are both shocked and saddened to learn of Pat's passing. We saw him (with Ralph Parkman) at October's 100th anniversary event for the Materials Science & Engineering Department at Stanford, where we all sat together. We talked with Pat also about our making another trip to the Bay Area to see Pat and the family so we could reminisce more. I'm so sorry that too many years have passed without doing that but also grateful that we got in what was to be our last visit in October.
    Pat, John and I were often "three Musketeers" in graduate school, or the "three Don Quixotes," tilting at windmills---some of which came down.  If one of us saw something we felt was unjust we'd join together to raise a protest. (I suspect we drove the department crazy.) At San Jose State Pat and I didn't always agree, but when we did windmills would fall---and I was always sure that Pat shared my passion for doing the right thing for the students. 
    I have some great pictures of Pat but finding them requires rummaging through slides that are decades old. My favorite is one of Pat at a Halloween party at our apartment in Mountain View---in drag with baby Amy on his shoulder, Diane and Michael nearby. (When I saw him crossing the street I thought, "Who is that ugly woman with Diane Pizzo?") Pat was never afraid to laugh at himself, nor to stand up for what he thought was right in spite of the consequences. We shared gardening tips, teaching ideas, technical specs, and advice on "chilling" with new babies. He was a friend, a colleague, an emergency contact, a sounding board, an advisor, a jokester, an inspiration, and much more. 
   Love and our deepest condolences to Diane, Michael, Amy, and the rest of the family, and to the many friends who loved Pat as well, from Linda (Clements) and John (Crowley) in Dayton, Nevada

I first met Pat about 15 years ago when I began teaching at Branham High School.  He was working with the environmental club (SPARE) on establishing a large native California garden on campus.  Over the following years, Pat worked tirelessly to advise and assist the club on landscape preparation, species of plants, care, and maintenance.  His passion for the natural world was contagious and he inspired countless students to be devoted stewards of the environment.  In the years that followed, Pat continued his work in the native garden, organized the planting of dozens of trees on campus, and educated us extensively on the history of local flora and fauna.  Most recently, he spearheaded an effort to create 5 gardens in a local park for which we were honored by Mayor Sam Laccardo at the San Jose City Council Meeting.  We have been blessed to know Pat and his legacy will live on.

I have many memories of my brother Patrick and all the mischief we got into and out of.  I’m most proud of all the work that he did for the community of San Jose and surrounding areas.  His passion truly was teaching and gardening and the many comments that I read allude to the tremendous positive effect he had...he will live on through all that he gave and he taught.  One of my favorite photos is this one of my Brother Pat, oldest sister Karen, and me.  I can attest that regardless of differences at times like all families, when the three of us were together, we had fun.

I never met Patrick in person, but feel like I knew a little slice of his life through the expertise and wisdom he often shared about California Native Plants on the CNPS Gardening with Natives mail list.  He was so knowledgeable and helpful and ridiculed no question asked, no matter how basic.  We will miss his gentle advice, hearing about his many projects and his many successes with native plants.  

I am so sorry for your loss.  My most vivid memories of Patrick are from grammar school. I was so impressed when he would come into our classroom and tap dance and play the accordion. He would wear a sailor suit costume.  I always knew his full name and loved to say it. He was always such a nice person and I know his family will miss him terribly.

Condolences to the family on your loss.

I had interaction with Mr.  Pizzo via the CNPS group.  He was very knowledgeable and helpful, and on many occasions shared antecdotes about various topics that were entertaining and endearing (e.g. being called "pumpkin Pizzo" on the AFB where he grew pumpkins for the children).  Though I never met him, I was saddened to hear of his passing.  God bless and may he rest in peace. 

I've known Pat since 1st grade when we had a toy store in our classroom and it was posted in the newspaper.  Sat with Pat and his wife at our 50th class reunion in 2016 and visited.  So sorry for your loss.  He was a great guy.  Our prayers are with you and the family.

Don and Judy (Mills) Brothers

Pat was such an inspiration, and great guy. Both Glenn and I enjoyed golfing with him at Rancho del Pueblo and later at Santa Teresa. He was upbeat no matter what the challenges of the course.   His dedication to our local parks and open spaces was truly commendable. We will miss his humor and his company out on the course. Rest easy, Pat. We are missing you already! Stephanie and Glenn Herrell

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Patrick is survived by his wife of 52 years, Diane Pizzo, his son Michael Pizzo, daughter and son in law Amy and Derek Huddlestun, as well as his grandchildren, Ryan and Megan Huddlestun. He will be greatly missed, though his spirit will live on in all of us.

OBITUARY

Patrick Peter Pizzo

January 14, 1944 – January 2, 2020

Lima Family Santa Clara Mortuary

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