Alexander “Sonny” D. Pietrandrea, 89, of Middletown and formerly Wethersfield, beloved husband for 45 years of the late Carole (Cirone) Pietrandrea, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Monday, February 20, 2023. Born on July 23, 1933 in Supino, province of Frosinone, Italy, he was the son of the late Anthony and Augusta (Laurenti) Pietrandrea. Nicknamed Sonny by his maternal grandmother, the name stuck and there were many people who never even knew his name was Alexander. He came to the U.S. from Italy in 1947 and served in the U.S. Army from 1957-1959, where he was stationed in Germany and played on the Army soccer team. Sonny left school in 1950 at age 17 to become a carpentry apprentice and became a skilled draftsman and cabinet maker. He was honored when one of his first big jobs was installing woodwork in the Senate chamber in Washington, DC. He worked for Modern Woodcraft, Dettenborn, Ames Department Stores and retired from Emidio Woodworking. After retirement, he drove a school bus for AA Transportation for six years, where he had a perfect driving record. He was meticulous about his vegetable gardens every year, growing tomatoes, swiss chard, eggplant, romaine lettuce, peppers and dandelion greens that he was happy to share with family and friends. He learned to cook after retirement, making delicious homemade cavatelli, sauce, and pizzas. He was known at family gatherings for his excellent bocce skills and famous broccoli rabe, and was the king of chestnut roasting. Sonny camped with his family for more than 40 years in Connecticut, on Cape Cod and in Rhode Island, which after Italy was his favorite place in the world. He was a top bowler in several duckpin leagues over the years, winning many trophies bowling alongside his brother Mark and his dear friend, Frank DeLisa. He loved treating family and friends to freshly caught cherrystones and freshly dug steamers and was an avid fan of the New York Yankees, going to the Stadium to see games as often as he could. There was nothing he loved more than cheering on his grandchildren at their various sporting events, and he always cherished his time with friends and family.
A loving father and grandfather, Sonny will be forever missed by his three children, Terri Ferraguto and husband Phil of Wethersfield, Joseph Pietrandrea and wife Michela of Newington and Maria Matulis and husband Ray of Middletown and his seven adored grandchildren, Benjamin Chudy of Newington, Veronica Chudy and fiancé AJ Adamita of New Britain, Marisa, Anthony and Vincent Pietrandrea, all of Rocky Hill and Alexandra and Julia Matulis of Middletown, all of whom will cherish the memories made with their Grandpa/Papa. In addition, Sonny is survived by his brother, Louis Pietrandrea and wife Beverly of Wethersfield and a huge circle of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members and friends that he made over the years. In addition to his wife and soulmate Carole, Sonny was sadly predeceased by his beloved son, Nicholas Pietrandrea and his brother, Mark Pietrandrea. He has missed them for so many years, and we take comfort knowing they are happily reunited now. The family would like to send a heartfelt thank you to the staff and residents of Luther Manor for the kindness and friendship shown to Sonny these last three years.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday (February 24) at 10:30 a.m. at the Church of the Incarnation, 544 Prospect Street, Wethersfield. Everyone is asked to please go directly to the church. Burial will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery (Section 25), Hartford. Family and friends may call on Thursday from 4 -7 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. In lieu of flowers, donations in Sonny’s memory may be made to the CT Breast Health Initiative, 74 Vine Street, New Britain, CT 06052 or online at https://www.ctbhi.org/donate. To share a memory of Sonny with his family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.
