Obituary of Anthony L. Pellegrini

Anthony L. Pellegrini Vestal - Anthony, 97, passed away Sunday August 28. His wife, Elizabeth Chedester, predeceased him, as did his father, Louis Pellegrini and mother Maddalena Menegus Pela. He is survived by his four children, John, Margaret, Daniel, and David, and four grandchildren. Anthony was a long standing professor of Romance Languages at Binghamton University. He joined the faculty in the early days of Harpur College, which later became SUNY Binghamton, then BU. He served for many years as the Editor of the Journal of the Dante Society of America. After retiring, he led private study groups in reading the Divine Comedy. Anthony was born in Brockton, MA to Italian immigrants. His formative years were shaped by the Great Depression. Anthony served in the Army as an interpreter in WWII in both the European and Pacific Theaters. He graduated Harvard College, Class of '43, then continued graduate studies there, earning a PhD in Italian. He embarked on an academic career, with stints at Tufts and Vassar before arriving at Harpur College in 1962. He enjoyed gardening and classical music. He was an enthusiastic patron of the Tri-Cities Opera. He gave generously to Seton Catholic Central, and established scholarships at Harvard and at Wellesley College, Elizabeth's alma mater. Memorial service will be announced at a later date.