A funeral Mass for Andrew “Andy” Fred Petro, Sr. will be held on Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 11:00 AM at St. James Catholic Church in Leland. Burial to take place immediately following Mass in the Leland-Stoneville Cemetery, where a fallen firefighter ceremony will take place. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 until 11:00. Arrangements are under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Leland.
Andy passed away on November 2, 2020 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Jackson at the age of 77. He was a lifelong resident of Leland, Mississippi.
Andy was born to Edward A. Petro, Sr. and Bessie Cefalu Petro on June 21, 1943. He graduated from Leland High School in 1961 then attended Mississippi State University. He worked at the United States Post Office in Leland for 33 years until he retired at the age of 55.
After retiring from the Post Office, he worked at Fratesi’s Grocery store in Leland for 17 years until the time of his passing. At Fratesi’s he served as a senior clerk and most importantly, he was the self-proclaimed owner/manager of the store.
Andy spent his entire life dedicated to the City of Leland, Mississippi. He served on the Leland Volunteer Fire Department for 57 years. He was a member of the Mississippi Firefighters Association and in 2004 he received lifetime membership to the Association, which is the highest honor that a firefighter can receive. At the time of his passing, he was serving as the association’s Northwest Central District Vice President. In 2018, he was awarded the Volunteer Firefighter of the Year by the First Responders of Mississippi.
Andy was involved with the politics of Leland. He served a 16-year term as an Alderman for Ward 4, and was an alderman at the time of his passing. His love for Leland was impeccable, and he was proud to tell everyone that he was from Leland. He strived every day to make Leland a better place to live.
He was a lifelong Mississippi State fan and a zealous supporter of Mississippi State football.
He was a lifelong communicant of St. James Catholic Church, where he served as a member of the Knights of Columbus.
He was passionate about his high school classmates, and proudly told everyone that he was a member of the Leland High School Class of 1961. He maintained close friendships with all of his classmates throughout his entire life.
He is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Gloria Lee Petro and his sons, Andrew Fred Petro, Jr, (Lou Ann) of Collierville, Tennessee and Marc Petro (Jamie) of Madison, Mississippi. He is survived by his three grandchildren, Meri Alan, Drew, and Ann Carter Petro of Collierville, Tennessee, and his two grand dogs Wrigley and Higgins. He is also survived by a brother, Edward Anthony Petro, Jr. of Flower Mound Texas.
Due to COVID 19 restrictions, masks will be required and social distancing will be enforced at the visitation and funeral. Overflow seating and live streaming will be available in the St. James Catholic Youth Center, which is located directly behind the church. The service will also be live streamed on the church’s Facebook page.
The family would like to extend special thanks to his doctors, Dr. Maria Rappai, Dr. Mickey Koury, and Dr. Anthony Petro, as well as all of the heath care workers at Baptist Hospital in Jackson who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic every day. These medical professionals are true heroes.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St James Catholic Church, 312 E Third St, Leland, MS 38756, First Responders of Mississippi, 1147 Hilda Drive, Jackson, MS 39213, or to donor’s charity of choice.