Mario J. Pedi, age 98, a longtime resident of Winchester, passed away on June 23, 2018. He was the beloved husband for 73 years of Gilda A. (Maiocco) Pedi.
Born in Mineo, Italy, Mario was the son of the late Luigi and Marianna (Bucchieri) Pedi. He came to the United States in 1928, at 8 years old. He was raised and educated in Chelsea. Mr. Pedi attended evening classes at Northeastern University and earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering.
Mr. Pedi met the love of his life, Gilda Maiocco, at a dance hall with friends, and they would eventually marry, move to Winchester, raise and educate their children there. Their choice of Winchester as a home was influenced by its great reputation for education and their desire to give their children the opportunity to grow up and learn there.
Mario worked for a number of private companies and eventually started his own business, Marped Engineering, formerly on Cross St. in Winchester. As an engineer, he designed machinery that was primarily associated with the food industry. His ingenuity helped develop frozen fish cutting equipment, allowing for the production of frozen fish sticks, the technology and machinery that filled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and that decorated the stripes on candy canes.
In retirement, his love for the Winchester community, his passion for learning, and his high regard for the level of education provided in town led him to a full-time position as a substitute teacher at both the McCall Middle School and Winchester High School. Those experiences, outlined in a Winchester Star article in 2011, when he was 91, describe his enthusiasm for teaching and learning alongside respected educators in Winchester and his delight in delivering that knowledge to the students.
His greatest joy, however, came from spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren.
In addition to his devoted wife Gilda, Mario is lovingly survived by his children, Lewis Pedi of Chicago, and Joan Cronin and her husband Dusty of Winchester. He was the cherished grandfather of Christopher Cronin and Nicole Cronin, and is further survived by a brother, Sebastian Pedi and his wife Elaine of FL & NH.
A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Church, 155 Washington St., Winchester on Wednesday, June 27, at 10AM. Relatives and friends are asked to go directly to the church. Burial will follow in Wildwood Cemetery, Winchester. If desired, in lieu of flowers, donations in Mario’s memory may be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. www.stjude.org/donate.