Perry Pingatore

Perry Pingatore of Sault Ste. Marie died Wednesday, Sept. 10, at his home. He was 84. The longtime city businessman and volunteer, son of the late Orlando and Mary (Perry) Pingatore, lived for 72 years in the house that he was born in on Kimball Street, nearly 50 years of it with his wife, Beverly LeLievre, whom he married Sept. 27, 1952. Beverly preceded him in death in 2001. The Sault Area High School graduate owned and operated the family-owned Pingatore Cleaners dry-cleaning service for 55 years, and the business continues to this day. All the while, he was active in a variety of community organizations, serving on the board of War Memorial Hospital, First of America Bank, the Chippewa County Industrial Board (past president), and the Christopher Columbus Italian-American Society (past president). In addition, he was one of the originators of the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce Red Coats, which welcomes new businesses into the community, and he was president of the Rotary Club during the time that the group established Rotary Park. The riverfront park continues to be one of the more popular recreational attractions in town. He was also president of the Michigan Dry Cleaners Association and chair of the Military Affairs Committee that acted as a liaison between the city of Sault Ste. Marie and Kincheloe Air Force Base. Perry and Bev were avid Laker hockey fans and members of the Laker Club and Soo BlueLiners. Many student-athletes and Lake Superior State University staffers enjoyed Bev's spaghetti dinners in their home through the years. In addition to attending local sporting and social events in the community, the couple also spent many days at their cabin on Lake Superior. The couple raised three children: Laurie (Chuck) Schmidt, of Rochester Hills; and Randy (Julie) and Ann (Dale) Lasecki, both of Sault Ste. Marie. They survive him, along with grandchildren Megan (Nik) Maguire, Erika (Justin) Thomas, Perry, Cara and Dana Pingatore, Garrett and Aaron Lasecki, and great-grandchildren Thomas and Emily Maguire. He is also survived by two sisters, Carolyn Ayers and Sylvia Wood, both of Sault Ste. Marie, along with many nieces and nephews, and his friend and companion Bernice Rutecki. He was also preceded in death by his brothers Landy and Eugene. Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14, at C.S. Mulder Funeral Home, 4951 S. M-129, Sault Ste. Marie. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 15, at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Father Jose Maramattam as celebrant. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of the EUP.

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Perry Pingatore

February 12, 1930 - September 10, 2014