David Lee Pedrotti, born September 14, 1930, entered eternal rest on October 31, 2024, at the age of 94.

Born the youngest of 13 siblings, to Olivia and Constantino Pedrotti, David was given the nickname of Sonny Boy when he was just a baby. That name stayed with him until his passing. He is still remembered as Uncle Sonny by his many nieces and nephews.

As a teenager, David worked at his family grocery store on Cherry Street. He was introduced to tile setting when he was a young man and served as an apprentice to one of his uncles. He spent his career in the business as a tile setter and later an estimator. He worked most of his career at Venice Art Terrazzo Company with the DiFilippo family.

He took a break from tile setting when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952 during the Korean War. He completed his basic training at the Ft. Benning School of Infantry, then volunteered for Airborne training. He was assigned to the 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team and completed 17 jumps and was prepared to deploy when the war came to an end. He completed his service in 1954 at Fort Benning, Georgia and returned to San Antonio.

In 1958, he met Joan Parrish when they joined the same bowling league and two years later, they were married. They raised three girls together – Joan, Margaret and Anne – and David was an active volunteer at their school, Little Flower Catholic School. He renovated a space into a library for the school, built tables, podiums and desks for the classrooms and he tiled the restrooms. He was also involved in the Little Flower Men's Club and assisted with the scouting program at the school and church.

David was a devoted and loving husband. When his wife became ill, he took early retirement to care for her. He was her constant caregiver until her death in 1995. Joan's death was a major loss and struggle for David. The birth of his granddaughter Elizabeth one year, to the day, after his wife's passing brought David new life and the role that gave him his greatest joy – Grandpa, or as he like to be called, Papa. Elizabeth's birth was quickly followed by grandson, Spencer. His granddaughter Victoria Lee followed two years later.

It was through his grandchildren that David began 17 years of volunteer work. He first assisted at St. Martin Hall Catholic School. When his grandchildren moved to Mount Sacred Heart Catholic School (MSH), he moved with them and volunteered there even long after they graduated. He often joked that his grandchildren graduated, but he didn't.  He spent almost 13 years volunteering at MSH helping with the youngest children in the Montessori program for 3–5-year-olds. He greeted them each morning, helped them down the stairs, listened when they practiced their reading and comforted them when they were upset. Throughout his time at MSH, he gained numerous new "grandchildren."

While David may have been a professional tile setter and an on-the-job-trained childcare specialist, he had a wonderful, natural gift as a cabinet maker and woodworker. Over the years, he created countless items in his workshop from pens, bowls and other items he turned on a lathe, to pieces he carved, to large items of furniture including cabinets, tables, desks, dressers, and shelves. He built bassinets, cribs and children's beds for each of his grandchildren, and most of the furniture in the home of Anne and Louis where he lived for the last 20 years of his life.

David was preceded in death by his wife, Joan; his parents Olivia and Constantino; and his 12 siblings Lucia, Constantino, Olivia, Frank, Mary, Johnny, Annie, Victoria, Joe, Charley, Tony and Margaret. He is survived by his daughters, Joan Pedrotti (Frank Spencer Stubbs III), Margaret Pedrotti (Gerard E. Long) and Anne Pedrotti Gomez (Louis R. Gomez); his grandchildren, Elizabeth Gomez, Frank Spencer Stubbs IV, and Victoria Gomez; numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to thank Mari Vasquez Gomez, who served as David's caregiver for the last two years of his life. They also wish to thank Circle of Life Hospice, which provided care during the last few months of David's life, especially Tanya, Dee and Araceli.

FUNERAL SERVICES

Visitation will begin on Wednesday, November 6, at 5:00pm with a Rosary to be recited at 7:00pm at the Angelus Chapel.

Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, November 7, at 12:00pm at the Angelus Chapel with burial to follow in San Fernando Archdiocesan Cemetery # 2 with military honors.