Obituary of Francis Pezzimenti

Allegany, NY Francis D. "Pezz" Pezzimenti of 114 N. 2nd St. died Saturday (April 14, 2012) in the intensive care unit of Olean General Hospital. Born September 9, 1931 in Olean he was the son of Biago and Anna Maria Papasergi Pezzimenti. On October 14, 1961 in Allegany he married Ann M. Forness who predeceased him March 12, 1987. Mr. Pezzimenti was a U.S. Army veteran from 1951 to 1953 and served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division during the Korean War. He continued as an active Reservist until 1957. For many years he was a member of the Allegany American Legion Charles Harbel Post 892. He had been employed for the Village of Allegany for over forty four years. During that time he served for twenty nine years in the police department and was Chief of Police from 1975 until 1992. He also served as the Superintendent of Public Works for several years until his retirement in 1997. Pezz, or Chief Pezzimenti as he was known, earned the respect of his peers in fire protection and law enforcement as evidenced by his years of service to the Village of Allegany and to his over fifty years of service to the Allegany Engine Co. For forty six of those years he served as Allegany's Fire Chief. He was active with the Cattaraugus County Volunteer Firemen's Association and was a longtime member of both the National and the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police. He had a special love in his heart for all children and cared about the well being of the elderly as well. His job in retirement as a bus driver for the Allegany Limestone School District was another useful way he kept himself in touch with the younger generation. As a younger man he raced cars for over twenty years at the Olean Raceway and other area tracks in his stock car "Ace". Surviving are seven daughters Peggy (Joe) Keller of Olean, Carla (Lou) Aurino of Allegany, Judy Geske of Fresno, CA, Stephanie Kolkowski of Allegany, Vickie (Beth Sanders) King of Olean, Kimberly (Frank) Richo of Las Vegas, NV and Terri (Bill) Wedge of Limestone; twenty grandchildren Rodney (Jen) Gleason, Daniele (Phil) Vecchio, John Kolkowski, David Kolkowski, Chad Aurino, Jamie Aurino, Chris Keller, Matt (Kelly) Keller, Heidi (James Reska) King, Ashley (PJ Sheehy) King, Lindsey King, Nicholas Sanders, Sean Wedge, Brent Wedge, William Wedge, Brian (Chandra) Wedge, Frank (Sarrah) Richo, Jr., Dionne Richo, Sergio Richo and DJ Richo; nineteen great grandchildren. He is also survived by Mary Alice Pezzimenti of Allegany who is mother to his daughters Peggy, Judy and Vickie and also by a special friend Sally Nye of Allegany. He was predeceased by a sister Isabella Pezzimenti. Friends will be received at the Casey, Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home 3128 W. State St. Olean on Monday from 5-9pm and on Tuesday from 1-4 and 7-9pm. Funeral services will be held Wednesday (April 18, 2012) beginning with a prayer service at 9:30am in the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00am in St. Bonaventure Church. Rev. James Vacco, OFM, pastor, will be the celebrant. Burial, with full military honors by the Allegany American Legion Ritual Team, will be in St. Bonaventure Cemetery. Members of the Allegany Engine Co. will conduct a brief memorial service Monday evening at 7pm in the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Allegany Fire Department or to the St. Bonaventure Church.