Tom Pinello, Jr.
August 27, 1929 – July 12, 2016
Tom Pinello, Jr., passed away the evening of July 12, 2016 surrounded by his family. Tom was born August 27, 1929 and was the first of three children born to Tom Pinello, Sr. and Palma Johnson. This included a sister, Blanche and a brother, David. Tom was born into a huge Italian family in the southeast part of Colorado Springs, known today as Fountain, Security and Widefield. Tom was born on the family ranch, known to many as The Pinello Ranch. Tom was blessed with many uncles, aunts and cousins.
Tom started work at an early age. He was pulled out of school in the sixth grade to go work on the family farm and ranch. He then worked for his uncle’s construction companies, working on some of the city and state’s biggest projects. Some of the most significant were: the Air Force Academy, the Pueblo Gas Depot and Academy Boulevard. Tom would later go on to start his own business, Tom Pinello, Jr. Construction Company. He hired on and worked many years with members from both sides of his family and men that he was still friends with to date. Through his own company Tom continued to work on many major projects including: Chapel Hills Mall, Sky Sox Stadium, Colorado Springs Airport, Colorado Mountain estates, Chrystal Hills, many churches, schools, Frontier Gun Club, Arrow Head and Mile High fishing clubs, Woodmen Road and Powers Boulevard just to name a few. Tom’s company was the training ground for many men that moved to city or county positions. Tom was truly happy when operating his Td-25 dozer building, clearing a road or on his dragline cleaning out ponds in the mountains. Tom was still moving equipment and operating his dozer late into his seventies.
In September, 1948, Tom married Sylvia DellaCroce. He was just a month and a half away from his sixty-eighth wedding anniversary. In 1951 Tom started his own family with a son, Jim; a daughter, Vicki; a son; David; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Tom was an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. This wasn’t a hobby or something done here and there, it was a lifestyle. He loved hunting trips, whether it was the annual family trip to the White River to hunt and fish or to Alaska, Canada and Mexico chasing wild sheep. At the age of eighty after a forty-year quest, Tom completed Grand Slam #1576 of North American Wild Sheep. This made him the oldest person ever to do so at that time. Tom completed a Super Ten at age eighty-two and had 14 of the 29 animals in the Super Slam. Tom was a life member / member of many hunting organizations including: Grand Slam Ovis, FNAWS, The Elk Foundation, Super Slam Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Society and the Nation Rifle Association. Tom enjoyed hanging out, talking to and being around people. Some of his happiest days were spent at breakfast with his family and friends.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents: Tom Pinello, Sr., and Palma Johnson; step-father, William Johnson; in-laws who he also considered parents: Mambrino and Elise DellaCroce; a sister, Blanche Curtis; a brother, David R. Pinello; brother-in-law, Ward Curtis; sister-in-law, Jo Sikole; many aunts, uncles, cousins and the love of his life, his wife, Sylvia “Toots” Pinello. Tom is survived by his son, James (Dianne); daughter, Vicki (Jim); son, David (Kim); six grandchildren: Jim, Michael, Heather, Zachary, Ozzy and Paige; seven great-grandchildren: Byron, Josh, Molli, Elijah, Alex, Sophi and Arianna; step-granddaughter, Andrea; two step great-grandchildren, Cody and Elizabeth; his wife’s siblings: Ron, Bobbi and Tina; many nephews and nieces that he cared about like they were his own.
Flowers are welcome, but in lieu of flowers the family requests that you get together with family and friends and go out to breakfast. Make a great memory and tell stories about Tom.
A visitation will be on Thursday, July 21, 2016 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. followed by a 6:00 p.m. Rosary at the Shrine of Remembrance Funeral Home, 1730 East Fountain Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80910. A funeral mass will be held Friday, July 22, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 6455 Brook Park Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918. Private Entombment will be held at the Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum, Garden of Athena.