Peter J. Lello, Jr., 75, of Pittston passed away Saturday, February 16, 2019, at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital following a long illness. A lifelong resident of the Pittston area, he was born March 18, 1943, the son of the late Peter J., Sr. and Ida Casaveccia (Household) Lello.
Throughout his long career Mr. Lello served as a Catholic education program director in local parishes, an executive in the food distribution and sales industry, and a professional fundraiser for charitable and educational groups.
A 1961 graduate of St. John the Evangelist High School, he attended King’s College, and was a Bachelor of Arts degree recipient from Columbia Pacific University.
Early in his career he became associated with his father in the Sterling Beef and Wyoming Packing companies, and a partner of P.J. Lello & Sons Food Brokerage. He later held sales and marketing positions with regional food brokerage and distribution firms, including Delbert Craig, Wilkes-Barre. He was an accomplished home cook, serving memorable meals to friends and business associates.
An active Catholic layman, he was on the parish staff of St. Anthony of Padua Church (St. Barbara’s), Exeter, serving as the Director of Religious Education, and simultaneously as an event planner and administrator of the parish catering hall. Earlier, he administered a similar program at St. Joseph Marello Parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Pittston.
Mr. Lello was known for his lifelong concern for the disadvantage and the poor. He was very active in the Catholic Church as a Eucharistic minister, a leader of liturgical function and a master of ceremonies, as well as community groups serving on the board of directors of the Wyoming Valley AIDS Council from 1988-2003. He headed fundraising for the annual AIDS Walk, and supervised other activities including community at large, small businesses, schools and Church organizations campaigns in raising funds for AIDS.
In 2006, he joined the staff of Luzerne County Community College as Major Gifts Officer and Planned Giving Specialist, supporting a major capital campaign undertaken by the LCCC Foundation. The successful campaign enabled the construction of the Public Safety Training Institute. A second major campaign soon followed, to support the construction of the Joseph A. Paglianite Culinary Institute and the Francis and Mary Gill Carrozza, RN Health Science Center. As a member of the Institutional Advancement Team, he was in the forefront of promoting the need for LCCC satellite facilities which were later opened in downtown Pittston and Scranton. Mr. Lello pursued hunger issues, and raised funds to support the cause. The LCCC hunger facility was designated as the Peter J. Lello Food Bank in 2016. He later created the Peter and Ida Lello Memorial Scholarship for a nursing student. He retired from the college in 2017.
Mr. Lello was a parishioner of Our Lady of Eucharist Parish, Pittston.
He is survived by a sister, Diane Lello of Lafayette Hill, PA; two brothers, Denis, Swoyersville and his wife Bernadine, and brother Michael, Jupiter, FL; niece, Mia Lello and nephew, Peter Lello, and numerous cousins and godchildren.
Peter’s family would like to express a heartfelt thank you for the compassionate care provided to Peter to Dr. Mauer Biscotti, Drs. Joe and Jeanne Dreier, Dr. Ira Grossman, the staff at St. Luke’s Villa, Wilkes-Barre, the staff at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, the staff at Fresenius Kidney Care Pittston and his caregiver Lasha.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, February 22, 2019, at 9:30 AM in St. Joseph Marello Parish, 237 William St., Pittston. Those attending are asked to go directly to church on Friday morning. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Friends may call Thursday, February 22, from 5-8PM at Adonizio Funeral Home, LLC, 251 William St. Pittston.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to Our Lady of the Eucharist Parish, Pittston; St. Joseph Marello Parish, Pittston; the Peter J. Lello Food Bank (checks may be made out to Luzerne County Community College); or, Care and Concern Ministries, at St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston.