Pierre C. Pingitore

It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of our father Pierre Pingitore at the age of 95, a remarkable man whose life was dedicated to service, exploration, and love for his family.  He grew up in Buffalo, New York and lived there with his parents and his older siblings, Louis and Nelson.  Pierre was born during the Great Depression and raised during World War Two.  His family rose from modest means in Buffalo, New York through education and hard work. This upbringing taught him the value of family, learning, his catholic faith, and the importance of non-material things in life. Pierre, a US Diplomat, resided in many countries, including Algeria, Somalia, Pakistan, Haiti, Kenya, Suriname, and Barbados. He lived state side in Silver Spring, Maryland, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and finally in Chestertown, Maryland.

A man of diverse interests with an encyclopedic knowledge of the world, our father delved into history, biographies, the arts, classical music, and international politics. He was a lifelong religious Catholic who studied in the seminary before deciding not to become a priest.   In addition, our father was a man of conviction, which led him in the 1960s to join Martin Luther King and civil rights supporters on Dr. King’s famous march in Washington and I have a Dream speech in Washington, D.C.  He started his professional career as a teacher of Greek and Latin and French.  His fluency in seven languages and his prior experience as a French and English professor prepared him for a distinguished career as a Cultural Attaché for the U.S. embassy and government.  In this work he immersed himself in the cultures and people of the countries he lived in.

He had an especially great appreciation of French culture and language.   He met his future wife, a French Canadian, Mireille Lamoureux, while both taking a university class together in Washington, D.C.   They married and bought a residence in Maryland and lived there when not living abroad.  Pierre was a loving and devoted father to Louis, Joelle, and Mark.  He wanted to support his kids ́ passions and interests and that included tolerating and supporting electric guitars and footballs, and basketballs even though those weren’t his real interests.  He loved to read books, share poetry and passages aloud, and be on trips or at the dinner table with his family. His love for his children was evident in his thoughtful gestures, as he consistently reached out to check in on their lives and challenges, always remembering what was important to each of them He also cherished being a  grandparent to Jeremy, Christian Waterkotte, Ona, Julia Pingitore, Zaida, and Victor and often asked questions about their individual interests.

His passion for photography and his love for taking long weekend trips with his family resulted in a treasure trove of memories captured through his photos, slide shows, and storytelling. His dedication to documenting their lives and experiences will forever be cherished by his loved ones. Despite having a serious back injury as a teenager and having back pain throughout his life, he remained an optimistic and positive person. Although his marriage did not work out with Mireille, he found love late in life again when he met Alice Holton affectionately known as Zoe in his early 70s.

Zoe and Pierre had many years together in Kennett Square, PA and they traveled often to the Canadian Rockies, the Italian Lake region, and had a second home in Costa Rica.  Zoe meshed with our family so well and we also developed lifelong relationships with her children and grandchildren.  Many afternoons were spent at their residence on Wollaston Rd with amazing dinners, backyard parties, picnic style lunches on the porch, swinging on the porch swing and just being together with plenty of love and laughter.

When Zoe needed additional care, Pierre and Zoe moved to Chestertown to be near her daughter Kelly.   Once Zoe needed to be cared for in a nursing home, Pierre moved in to Heron Point and would drive 50 miles on Wednesdays to visit her for years.

After the passing of his beloved wife, Zoe in 2019, Pierre found solace in his community at Heron Point retirement community, where he formed lasting friendships and enjoyed introducing new people to others. He lived at Heron Point for close to a decade and embraced meeting new residents and introducing people to each other.  He loved to arrange dinners with different groups and socialize. His presence was cherished by many, and he will always be remembered as a cherished resident.

His legacy will continue to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing him.  His family feels immensely blessed that he lived such a long life and was in independent living until January.  We are both deeply joyous that he has gone to his beloved maker and saddened by the loss.  We will keep your memory alive Dad by looking at the photos you took and talking about you and all the memories we shared.