Paul Leonard Pecchenino died January 7, 2019, in Stockton, CA. He was 96. He was the son of John Baptista Pecchenino and Mary Ellen Williams Pecchenino. He was predeceased by children Gary Joseph Pecchenino and Susan Clare Pecchenino. He is survived by his beloved wife, Eve Hill Pecchenino, grandchildren Stephanie Lennon (Shane), Paul Dale Pecchenino (Jennifer), Jennifer Eve Pecchenino Gonzalez, seven great grandchildren, and Goddaughter Mary DeSmet (Greg Burger). Paul and Eve were married June 17, 1945 at St. Barnabas Church, Alameda, CA. They lived in Pasadena, San Jose, Felton, and Tuolumne prior to moving to O’Connor Woods in Stockton, CA, in 1992. As “pioneers” they helped shape the Woods, then a new community of only 129 residents. Paul and Eve served as Resident Council Presidents and chaired the Employee Thank You Fund committee and the Budget Review. Active in St. Catherine Chapel services, they helped raise funds to renovate the chapel and add a portico.
A native of Oakdale, CA, Paul attended Modesto Community College. At the beginning of WWII he enlisted in the Navy and served in Naval Intelligence before being transferred to the Navy V-12 Program. He was assigned to study at Cal Tech in Pasadena, where he returned after the War. After earning a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, he worked at NASA, Westinghouse and IBM. He also ran his own design and development consulting business for 30 years. He volunteered in charitable, religious and community organizations, and founded Paul’s Fix It Shop at O’Connor Woods. He loved high mountain trout fishing and traveling in Italy.
A celebration of life will be held in the Chapel at O’Connor Woods on Wednesday, February 13, at 11 a.m., followed by a reception in West Hall. Graveside services will be held at a later date at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery, Sonora, CA, administered by the Collins Family Funeral Home, Lodi, CA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations for the O’Connor Woods Resident Assistance Fund or the donors charity of choice.
The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader
Jan. 23, 2019