Peter Anthony Gallerizzo, 65, died on Thursday, June 25, 2020, at his home in Hagerstown, Maryland. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and son, and a brilliant man of many talents.
A lifelong Catholic with a deep faith in God, Pete was patient, humble and kind. He taught his children what it meant to know the merciful love of the Father. He believed nothing was impossible, that prayers are always answered, and that dreams come true.
Born on April 14, 1955, Pete grew up in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he served as an altar boy at St. Jerome’s parish. He graduated from Northwestern High School in 1973 and went on to the Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, class of 1977.
Pete became an award-winning structural engineer and land surveyor. He played a key role in the design of the lemur island at the National Zoo, when he calculated the inverted slope needed to create a cliff that would contain the lemurs yet prevent a ground cave-in. He designed several area roads including Dover Road in Rockville, Maryland, large sections of Route 50 in Maryland and the massive intersection of Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues in Washington, DC.
Pete had a passion for electronics and engines. As a child, he built a radio. As an adult, he built computers and he especially enjoyed working on cars. His friends and family knew if they had a computer or car problem, it could be solved by Pete.
The great love of his life was his wife Connie, an accomplished artist. They met at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Washington, DC. Pete knew he wanted to marry Connie the first time he set eyes on her. After their first date at the National Gallery of Art, they became best friends and did everything together. Pete the engineer and Connie the artist created wonderful memories for their three children, who will remember Pete as a father who always had a quirky “dad joke” and did whatever he could to help them realize their dreams and reach their potential.
Pete’s friends will remember him as a man with a great sense of humor, a man with integrity and someone they could count on for help when needed.
Pete is survived by his mother Catherine, his wife Constance “Connie” Scuderi Gallerizzo, and their three children: Ryan (Colleen), Connie Ann (James) and Catherine (fiancé Donald). He is also survived by four grandchildren: Sean, Rowan, Michael, and Gabriel. He was preceded in death by his father William Gallerizzo.
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