Richard Rudolph Pedranti

Richard Rudolph Pedranti was born January 13, 1932, in McMinnville, Oregon. He was the first child of Adah and Rudolph Pedranti and his brother James was born 8 years later. He grew up ten miles away in a small town, Newberg, Oregon, where he attended grammar school in two-room schoolhouse. The town had the distinction of having 32 churches in such a small community.

As a farm boy, he loved working in the fields. Richard’s parents supported his desire to own animals by purchasing a 32-acre farm. He milked cows in the morning before school and cared for his livestock. He raised a pig named Petunia which won the grand champion award when he was 15 years of age. He showed pigs, sheep, and cows at many county, state, and national fairs. He loved farm life as a boy.

In high school, Richard played football - he claimed he walked home two miles at dusk from practice every day! Being a rugged boy, he played linebacker and often broke his nose, as those were the days before protective helmets. He was one tough kid.

Richard also belonged to the Future Farmers of America. He traveled through the state of Oregon with the Parliamentary Procedures team and won the FFA state public speaking contest in 1948.

At 17 years of age he enrolled at Oregon State College (now University) and became Freshman Class President within five days after arriving on campus. Richard worked his way through college, mostly by washing dishes at his fraternity house. He became President of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and enjoyed fraternity life tremendously.

Richard was a member of Air Force ROTC, became Cadet Colonel in his senior year, and graduated top of his class. He was also a member of the Oregon State Debate team and traveled throughout the US as part of the team, becoming Chairman of the Parliamentary Procedures Team. He was a member of five honorary societies: Agricultural, Speech, Blue Key Men’s Senior Service and two Military. In 1953 he graduated with a degree in Food Technology.

Upon graduation from college, the military segment of his life began. He served in the United States Air Force for two years (1954-1956) with the rank of First Lieutenant.

At the age of 23, he held the position of Head Commissary Officer at Hahn Air Force Base in Germany where the 50^th Fighter Bomber Wing was located. This afforded him the opportunity to fly in many different aircraft and to see much of Europe at such an early age.

Richard returned home to civilian life and started his career in sales and marketing for various corporate entities over the next forty years. This included 17 years as a Vice President with American National Can Co., a multi-billion dollar company. He loved his career and working in sales and retired in June 1997.

Over the years, he moved his family many places: Seattle, northern and southern California, and Chicago. For most of his adult life he lived in Arcadia, CA, where his two boys grew up, and later in Rancho Mirage, CA. Constance Best Pedranti, his wife of 32 years, died in 1998, while living in Rancho Mirage.

Richard loved golf. He loved to tell of the many beautiful golf courses he played around the country. He enjoyed watching the game and teaching it to his two boys. He was a member of Annandale Country Club in Pasadena, CA and The Club at PGA West, in La Quinta, CA.

Richard died peacefully in his sleep on March 17, 2008 (St. Patrick’s Day), after a long battle with cancer.

He is survived by: his current wife of 3 years, Mary Munday Pedranti; his brother, James Pedranti; his 3 children: Alyse Muldoon, Derrick Pedranti (wife-Misty) and William Pedranti (wife-Jennifer); 5 grandchildren: Lanah Hamilton, Tristan Hamilton (wife-April), Harrison Pedranti, Dawson Pedranti and Grace Pedranti; two stepdaughters, Christy Crochet and Kelly Reed; one nephew, Richard Pedranti (wife-Gretchen), and one niece, Alyse Lisk (husband-Greg).

Richard had a big heart, was generous, devoted, and loved his family. He was the consummate patriarch of his family. He was a great man, son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and uncle. He cherished his friends and maintained several friendships for over 50 years. He also would often say that he considered himself tremendously lucky. He felt that he lived a very blessed life and did all the things he wanted to do. Richard was a Christian, baptized as a child and again as an adult.