January 19, 1937 ~ January 19, 2022
Pete died at Kansas City Hospice House on his 85th birthday. He was born in Kansas City, MO to Salvatore Tarantino and Mary Serrone Tarantino. He leaves behind his wife Barbara (Hotchkiss) Tarantino of 64 years, daughter Julie (Tarantino) Edwards, husband David Edwards. Son, Mark Tarantino. His sister, Connie (Tarantino) Thomas, Houston, TX. Five grandchildren, Chad Edwards (Melissa), Jared Edwards (Allison), Cassie Ferrick, Jake and Lindsey Tarantino. Four great grandchildren, Estella, Evy, Porter and Violet Edwards.
He joins his son in heaven, Peter Joseph Tarantino (Cindy Becklean) who died 17 days earlier.
Pete graduated from Northeast High School in 1955. There, he met his wife, Barbara Hotchkiss who he married in 1957. Pete was a meat cutter for Milgram Food Stores and Balls Price Chopper for 40 years.
In his early years, he played the trumpet in a band, and even made a record. Pete was a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He loved nothing more than watching his family grow. Over the years, Pete spent a lot of time watching his grandchildren at various sporting events and plays. He would never miss a game, and in many ways acted as an “unofficial” coach from the bleachers. In his leisure time, Pete’s joy was being around the color “green”. At home, it was his personal, over fertilized, tidiest green lawn on the block, and he knew it. Neighbors would try and compete and keep up with the “Pete” lawn standard. Away from home, you could find Pete on the golf course playing 18 holes with his dear friends, chuckling every time he sank a 20-foot putt.
He loved playing the trumpet and listening to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, along with Louis Armstrong and Harry James. In his later years, he enjoyed hanging out as a Golf Marshall at Shamrock golf course and at Legacy Gym with his buddies. He would swim a mile a day and hang out drinking coffee with his buddy for hours.
At 85 years old, he still had a full head of beautiful silver hair, never a hair out of place, something his grandsons envy to this day.
There will be a double celebration of life with Pete and his son Peter, at a later time in the spring when it is safe to gather and remember them both.
Arrangements: Cremation Society of Kansas & Missouri, 831 NE Lakewood Blvd. Lee’s Summit, MO 64064, 816-373-9888 www.kccremation.com
