Show All » 09-28-2010 » De Santis, Peter

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Mr. Peter P. De Santis


Peter De Santis

Peter P. De Santis, 89, of Lorain, passed away on Tuesday, September 28, 2010, after a long illness.


Pete was the former owner of De Santis Frito Lay Distributing Company and well known in Lorain County for his spirit of friendship and generosity. People lovingly referred to him as Mr. Chips since he cheerfully gave a hand shake, a smile and free bags of snacks whereever he went.


He was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania to Fillipo and Laura De Santis who moved to Lorain in 1922. He loved playing sports and played on the undefeated Lorain High Football team of 1939 who beat the Woody Hayes New Philadelphia team. This football team was inducted into the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame. He also played softball as a catcher for City League and the Open Hearth from 1936 to 1944.


Drafted into the Army during WWII, Pete played on the All Star Baseball Team and All Star Basketball teams which toured different U.S. bases. Pete was then assigned to the U.S. Coast Artillery as a Special Duty Officer with the Special Services Division at the U.S. Naval Base in Kodiak, Alaska. Pete personally trained over 500 Army/Navy men in various sports. During his army boxing career, he went on to win the title for the Heavy Weight Champion of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and N.W. Pacific Army and Navy sector.


After the war, Pete returned to Lorain and married his beloved Jean L. DeMaria, Elyria, Ohio. They spent 58 years together and raised one daughter, Jean Marie Morgan, of Amherst. And their loving household eventually grew to include their granddaughter, Christy Morgan Whiteside, and three nieces and nephews; Brad Mullins, Dr. John C. Mullins, and Laura Mullins Tate. Pete loved a game of golf on Sunday morning, followed by a traditional spaghetti dinner with everyone gathered at the dinner table, and then crowding around the television and cheering for Ohio State. He also loved family get-togethers, at his pool, where he liked to teach all the kids how to swim. As a Dad or Uncle, or Grandfather, or brother, his love and generosity could always be felt and cherished. They felt blessed to have experienced his indomitable spirit and enthusiasm for life and the love and generosity of his big heart.


As a young, ambitious, and friendly young man, he started in his mothers garage and developed his small snack food company into the De Santis Frito Lay Distributing Company. His company was the only independently owned Frito Lay Distributing Center in the country. Pete retired in 2002, at 81 years old, after 56 years in business. He was honored by employees, family, and friends at his retirement party and given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Frito Lay Corporation.


During his life, he gave generously to his community by sponsoring countless numbers of Little League teams, baseball and softball teams, bowling and basketball teams, golf teams, boxing gyms, and even Soap Box Derbies. He founded the De Santis Boxing Club and trained young men for the Golden Gloves for over 45 years. He is recognized as reviving the Golden Gloves in the city of Lorain. He was inducted to the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame in 1980 and voted The Man of the Year by the Lorain Jaycees in 1967. He was an Honorary Member of the I. A.V., Knights of Columbus, AMVETS, VFW, American Legion, Lorain Chamber of Commerce, St. Vincent De Paul Society, National AAU and Cleveland Amateur Boxing Association. He has been a life long member of St. Peters Church.


Pete enjoyed golfing with his buddies at different courses and bowling with his team at Rebmans. He loved traveling to see Ohio State play football and to Wittenberg to see his nephews play football. He enjoyed traveling to Ft. Myers Beach in the winter.


Peter is survived by his daughter, Jean Marie Morgan of Amherst; his granddaughter, Christy M. Whiteside of Westlake; his nephew, Bradly Mullins of Lorain; his nephew, Dr. John C. Mullins of Avon Lake; his niece, Laura Tate (nee: Mullins) of St. Charles, Illinois; his sister, Eleanor Shulsky-DiLuciano of Lorain; and his sister-in-law, Janice De Santis.


He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jean De Santis; his parents: Laura and Fillipo De Santis; his brothers, Mario De Santis and Joseph DeSantis; and his sister, Mary Jo Mullins (nee:De Santis).


The family will receive friends at Reidy-Scanlan-Giovannazzo Funeral Home, 2150 Broadway, Lorain, (440)244-1961 on Sunday, October 3, 2010 from 1:00 7:00 PM. The Lorain Sports Hall of Fame will coduct a service at the funeral home on Sunday at 1:00 PM. Closing prayers will be held at the funeral home Monday morning at 10:15 AM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, October 4, 2010 at St. Peter Church, 3655 Oberlin Ave., Lorain, OH 44053, Rev. Craig Hovanec, Pastor, officiating. Christian entombment services will be held at Calvary Cemetery, Lorain, where military honors will be conducted by the Italian American Veterans Post #1. Memorial donations may be made to St. Peter Church, 3501 Oberlin Ave., Lorain, OH 44053. Online condolences may be sent using www.rsgfuneralhome.com.

Posted By: RSG Funeral Home @ 4:53:03 PM

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