Peter Joseph Rocco

Peter Joseph Rocco, 77, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, passed away from a long illness on September 5th, 2022. He passed away in the comfort of his own home in the presence of loved ones.

Peter is preceded in death by his mother, Angela Cicinelli-Ward and by his sister, Mary Linda Salemi.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 53 years, Gertrud, who was his vigilant caretaker and by his sons Michael (Christine) and Mark (Debbie), daughter Elisabeth (Danny), brother William Ward, and sister Roseanne Dickson (Ron). He was the beloved Opa of Claire, Gabriel, and Justin, and the uncle of many nieces and nephews. His wife’s family from Germany especially enjoyed visits with their Uncle Peter.

Peter grew up in Chicago, Illinois, graduated from St. Philp High School in 1961, and entered the U.S. Air Force later that same year.

In the Air Force, Peter was stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea. He was then stationed at Chicksands Air Force Base, just north of London, England, and while there, Peter took college-level courses through the University of Maryland. Peter left the Air Force in 1967.

Upon his return to the United States from his Air Force tours, Peter attended Illinois Industrial College, where he graduated with an Industrial Engineering degree.

The Glidden Company hired Peter after his college graduation, and he eventually ran Glidden plants in Chicago, Reading, PA, Atlanta, and Gainesville (GA). Peter’s colleagues attributed his success to his strong work ethic, his people skills, and his drive to help his organization grow and earn distinctions for their safety.

Upon entering his permanent retirement in 2004, Peter spent time volunteering for Mended Hearts of Chapter 302 Gainesville, where he served as President and as Assistant Regional Director of the Southern Region for Mended Hearts. Peter also loved volunteering for the Theatre Wings, an organization that supported college students within the Gainesville Theater Alliance (GTA). He cheered on some of the GTA graduates by attending many theater performances and felt proud of their achievements.

First and foremost, however, Peter valued his friends and family. He maintained friendships going back many decades, whether he knew them from school, from the Air Force, or through his career.  Peter constantly kept in touch with his extensive network of friends, and often traveled afar to see them.  He also deeply cared for his family, and cherished the accomplishments of his sons, his daughter, his grandchildren, and nephews and nieces. In his later years, he soaked up stories about what his grandchildren were up to and often phoned his distant friends and family.

There will be a visitation on September 15, 2022 at Memorial Park South Funeral Home, 4121 Falcon Pkwy., Flowery Branch, GA 30542, from 6:00 to 8:00pm Peter’s family will be present to welcome family and friends. The funeral service, and a celebration of Peter’s life, will be held on September 16, 2022 at 2:00pm, at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 6439 Spout Springs Rd., Flowery Branch, GA 30542.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Peter’s name to the Emory Winship Cancer Institute (https://winshipcancer.emory.edu/support-winship/give/index.html), to the Theatre Wings Endowment Fund (https://gainesvilletheatrealliance.org/students/donations/), or to  Mended Hearts (https://mendedhearts.org/donate/).

Memorial Park South Funeral Home, 4121 Falcon Parkway, Flowery Branch, Georgia 30542 is in charge of arrangements.  Send on-line condolences to www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com.