NATICK: Ormonde L. “Ozzie” Pettingell, age 94, a former longtime Natick resident, died peacefully on October 15, 2015, at his Malden home. He was the husband of the late Arlene (Bolton) Welch Pettingell and Mary (Kuhn) Pettingell.
Born in Winthrop, he was a son of the late Roger and Edith (Read) Pettingell. Ozzie was raised and educated in Winchester and entered the Army in 1942. He served with the 1596th Army Air Force as an airplane and engine mechanic in the European African Middle Eastern Theatre. A Corporal, Ozzie saw battle in Italy, Normandy, Northern France, the Ardennes, the Rhineland, Central Europe and the Balkans.
Ozzie and Mary settled in Natick to raise their family, she creating a warm and happy home for their growing family and he working at Pettingell Supply Co., a family owned wholesale hardware distributor. Mary died suddenly in 1990, and Ozzie and Arlene were married two years later. They split their time between Natick and Lake Okeechobee, FL, until Arlene’s death in 2004. He had been a member of the Natick VFW Post 1274, enjoyed working jigsaw puzzles, and had an affinity for birds and a long list of household pets.
He is survived by two sons, William E. Pettingell and wife Libby of Newbury, David P. Pettingell of ME; a daughter, Anne Curran of SC; a stepdaughter, Arlene Walsh and husband Stephen of Malden, with whom he made his home; two stepsons, Edward Welch and wife Joanne of NH, and Charles Welch and wife Sandra of Sudbury; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A private service with military honors is planned. Donations may be made in Ozzie’s memory to The Shadow Fund, c/o The Massachusetts School of Law, 500 Federal Street, Andover, MA, 01810, or at http://shadowfundne.org/.