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Pete Azzarelli built business on high road
By JACKIE RIPLEY, Times Staff Writer LUTZ -- As head of one of Tampa Bay's largest road construction companies, Pete Azzarelli changed Tampa's landscape, from the roads he built in original Carrollwood to the miles of asphalt that crisscross the state. Mr. Azzarelli died July 31, 2002, at his home in Avila. But those closest to the 77-year-old former road and paving contractor said he wrought other kinds of change too. "He was a person who enjoyed life and being around him made you appreciate life," said developer and longtime friend Michael Sierra. "You could kind of see life through his eyes as a place to be respected, a place to be enjoyed." Born in Kankakee, Ill., Mr. Azzarelli moved to Tampa in 1957 and started a small trucking company. It wasn't long before Azzarelli Trucking and Excavating had evolved into Azzarelli Construction Co. of Illinois and Florida, as his father and four brothers joined the company. Mr. Azzarelli headed the company's Tampa division. "You can't drive more than a mile or two in the area and not be on roads he built in the 40-year span that was his career," said his son Mike Azzarelli. "My father accepted everybody for what they were. He expected no more, no less. He was not quick to judge or dislike." After retirement he spent most days on the golf course and on weekends would helicopter to the family's weekend getaway at Reddington Beach. "He was very determined in everything he did," Mike Azzarelli said. "He did it right, from building a road to playing golf." In Tampa, Mr. Azzarelli served for 13 years as a member and chairman of the Tampa Housing Authority. He also served on the board of the Tampa Port Authority. He was a founding and longstanding member of the Jesuit High School Foundation and was a supporter of Jesuit's Athletic Program. He was a director of the Florida Transportation Builder's Association Inc. and served on the board of directors of the Northside Bank, LandMark Bank and Pan American Bank. He served in the Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. Mr. Azzarelli is survived by his wife, Carol; three sons, Stephen, Michael and Thomas, all of Tampa; two daughters, Joan Nalls and Janet Keesler, both of Tampa; a stepdaughter, Kristin Johnson of Tampa; two brothers, Bartle and Sam Azzarelli; a sister, Josephine Raspolich; 14 grandchildren; a stepgrandchild; and several nieces and nephews. -- Jackie Ripley can be reached at (813) 269-5308 or ripley@sptimes.com.
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From the Times |
