Albert Dominic Petrella of Willards, Maryland, passed away peacefully on Jan. 9. Albert was born to Vincenzo and Concetta Vallera Petrella on Sept. 11, 1927, in Joliet, IL. He was the last surviving of six siblings: Adeline, Sam, Frankie, Guido and Tony.
Al married the love of his life, Bernice Grill Petrella, on July 3, 1979. They were married for 40 years before her passing in 2019. Al was a loving husband to Bernice, stepfather to Mindy (Andy) Pecoraro, grandfather to Lauren (Jeffrey) Earley, Danny (Rebecca Lipson) Pecoraro, Eric (Kinsey Montay) Pecoraro and Jessica, Kaitlin, Hayden, Sarah, Sophie and Joseph Goldberg. He was a great-grandfather to Griffin, Hutton, Campbell, Luna, Jacob and Abby. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. Of his many titles, he was proudest of his title of “Pop-Pop” and “Big Pop-Pop.”
Al received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and later earned his master’s degree from the University of Southern California. He proudly served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. He later was an engineer at NASA and WMATA, where he was involved in the planning and development of the Metro Transportation System in Washington, D.C. Al’s engineering background and attention to detail made him the designated picture hanger for the family (you will never find a straighter or more centered picture hung in your lifetime), the go-to guy for his grandchildren’s science projects and the neighbor with the most well-manicured lawn. He was a lover of going “bye-bye’s” in the car with Mema, frequently walking the parking lots to get exercise while Bernice shopped. He gave the best speeches at birthday dinners. Al was adored by his great-grandchildren who will never forget that he once bowled a 300 game, the warmth of his hugs and Chick-fil-a lunches, where he always walked them to the car and waved “bye” as they drove away. In keeping with his wishes, Al will be buried-at-sea with full military honors by the U.S. Navy.
