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Fred Petragallo, 75

Fred Petragallo, 75, of Kennewick, Wash., passed away peacefully on Friday, March 9, 2018, at Kadlec Medical Center surrounded by his family. Fred was born on June 13, 1942, in Spokane, Wash., to Fred Sr. and Marge Petragallo. Upon the passing of his younger sister, Karen Lee, Freddy moved in with his grand-parents, Gus and Thora Hessel of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The bond that was formed between the three of them helped shape Fred into the outstanding man that he became.

In 1961, he joined the Navy. He was proud to serve his country and be honored as a veteran. In the fall of 1962, he married Jeri McCumber. Although the union was brief, they welcomed his first child, Tracy Alan Petragallo. In May of 1964, he married Judy Todish in Potlatch, Idaho. At that time they moved to Pomona, Calif., where he started his career at Pasco Steel. This is where his relationship blossomed with lifetime friends Tom and Karen Drury. After this, he moved on to be a plumbing apprentice with Eldon Bouchey at Bouchey Plumbing. In 1966 came the birth of his first daughter, Franki Jo, and then in 1970, the birth of his second daughter, Angela Kim.

In 1973, he packed up and moved the family to booming Richland, Wash., where he worked at Boise Cascade while in the process of starting and building his plumbing business, The Drain Surgeon. He always cherished the relationships he formed with his customers, who were a special part of the love for his career.

Fond family moments at this point in his life were weekends spent water skiing at Bateman Island, trips to Lake Coeur d’Alene to visit family, and a stop at Hudson’s for a double cheeseburger. In 1998, with health issues looming from 25 years of hard work, he made the decision to sell his business and pass the plunger. His son Tracy and lifelong friend Eric Drury purchased the business. Today, it continues to flourish and serve the Tri-Cities community.

His proudest moments in life were the birth of his three children and five grandchildren. Papa enjoyed supporting all of his grandchildren’s activities and watching them grow. He had been a season ticket holder for the Seattle Seahawks for the last 14 years, which led to his avid collecting of sports memorabilia. In addition, his pride and joy was his rare collection of petrified wood, and he was an active member of the Lakeside Mineral and Gem Club. Everybody that knew Fred knew that he was a foodie. He was always wanting to drag you to his favorite restaurants, Wok King in Kennewick, and The Panda Inn in Hermiston. Along with good food, he also enjoyed spending time at Wildhorse Casino with good friends.

It was no secret Fred had a passion for our local law enforcement. He spent many an evening listening to his scanner and going ambulance chasing. He often enjoyed ride-alongs with his buddies of the KPD and WSP.

Fred is preceded in death by grandfather, Gustaf Hessel; grandmother Thora, Zimmeran; father, Ferdinand Petragallo; mother, Marge Rosetti; sister, Karen Lee and brother, Steve Petragallo. He is survived by his three children, Tracy, Franki and Angie; grandchildren, Nick, Dustin, Taylor, Adam and Lauren; and sister, Angel.

Viewing will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, March 16, 2018, at Events at Sunset in Richland. The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, 2018, at Events at Sunset, followed by a committal service at Sunset Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission or the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation.

Express your thoughts and memories on our online guestbook at www.einansatsunset.com.