The Honorable Joseph Robert Petrilli, Sr.
Born November 23, 1942
Joseph Robert Petrilli, Sr., age 72, of Middletown, DE, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 29, 2015.
Born in Philadelphia, PA on November 23, 1942, Joseph was the son of the late Gustav and Agnes Petrilli. He was a graduate of Father Judge High School and would later attend Penn State University. After completing his education, Joe accepted a position as an engineer with the DuPont Company, retiring after many years of dedicated service. His passion for politics lead him to serve the citizens of Delaware for over 20 years as a state representative, Speaker of the House and as House Majority Leader.
Joseph was an avid Philadelphia sports fan and enjoyed golfing and skiing in his leisure time. He looked forward to traveling and recently achieved his goal of visiting all 50 states. Happiest in the company of his beloved family, Joseph adored spending time with his loved ones, especially his grandchildren, whom he cherished.
Joseph is survived by his sons, Joseph Robert Petrilli, Jr. (Holly) of Kings Mountain, NC. Ryan A. Petrilli of Charlotte, NC and Randy T. Petrilli of Fort Collins, CO; and grandchildren, Payton, Mark, Kailyn, James and Rylee.
A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Wednesday afternoon, September 2, 2015, at the Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE, where a visitation for family and friends will be held from 1 pm until 2 pm. Interment will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Joseph’s memory may be made to the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, c/o Christiana Care, P.O. Box 1668, Wilmington, DE 19899.
Crystal and Zac Everakes
Dear Ryan, Rob & Randy,
I am sorry for your loss. May the wonderful memories of your father help to sustain you during this most difficult time.
Robert and Beth Shelor
We regret to hear of his passing and wish peace and comfort to all those his life and leadership effected. And particularly we are thinking of Joe, Holly, Mark, and James during their loss.
Robert Marshall, State Senator
My condolences to Joe’s family and friends on their loss. Joe was a fine gentleman and an outstanding Political Leader.
Bob Hiltzheimer
My prayers are with Joe’s family that I know from many conversations he adored. Joe and I spent many good times together when he was in Myrtle Beach either on the golf course, enjoying the finer things we both enjoyed or just the many political discussions we had. He was a super guy and will be greatly missed. God has a new champion standing for the things that matter.