Tio Pete was the first born Son out of ten boys and one girl
First-generation American, he grew up poor but very proud.
He saw that his Dad worked very hard to put food on the table,
So that instilled in him a strong work ethic, working hard in school and in every chore and soon he avowed,
That if he ever had any kids,
They would have a better life than he.
Most people do not know that Tio Pete was a soldier in World War II
He was from the greatest generation; a hero outright as a kid;
But from his point of view,
He was humble and never liked to discuss the war or what he did.
He was a fatalist who believed if God wanted him to survive, He would
If he didn’t, then he wouldn’t; Sel la vie.
Tio Pete did not talk about it to brag,
But when he did talk about the war the few times,
He talked about it in a simple way to implore the irony of it.
He was half way around the world one night in a foxhole in which he would reunite
With his brother Rudy, who he had not seen in 3 years, and didn’t recognize.
Now, how ironic and amazing was that?
Following the war, Tio Pete started a construction company with his Dad back home;
Taught himself to be an engineer, then later got a job with the “Corps of Engineers”;
Married to the love of his life, had kids, three sons and a daughter.
All in all, he worked hard to put food on the table;
Protected his family, and was a great Dad to the “N” degree,
For of course, all he wanted was for his kids to have a better life than he.
Robert Collazo Jr. 10/04/11
I know this very day, Tio Pete is enjoying his first born son, his grandson, and the rest of his family; so he wouldn’t want us to be sad…
[Tio = Uncle]
