Peter Russo of Ashland passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 15th from complications due to lung cancer. He was 74 years old.

Born in Owensboro, KY September 3, 1944, he was the son of John A. and Alene Russo. When he was two years old his mother moved to Revere, MA to join his father, who had been serving in WWII, where Pete lived until his mid twenties.  He graduated from Revere High School in 1962 and went to work in his father's tie manufacturing company for a couple of years before attending and graduating from Bentley College with a degree in accounting.

When he was young he spent many of his summers in Kentucky, visiting with his mother's family, where he became a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. He started coaching youth baseball in Revere when he was 16 years old. Coaching became one of the great joys of his life. He coached youth baseball in Ashland from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s and was very popular with his players and their parents. For a short period of time he played semi-pro softball.

Pete was an avid reader and history buff and was well on his way to reading at least one book about every president of the United States. One of his favorites was Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin which his son John was able to get signed, with a personal note by the author, and it became one of his prized possessions.

Pete was a former employee of Dennison Mfg., Wang Laboratories, Digital Equipment Corp., and various exporting companies before starting his own company, Linmac Enterprises, in the late 1990s. He was currently employed by Storbridge Global in Nashua, NH.

Pete is survived by Linda, his wife of 32 years, his son John of Framingham, his son Jimmy of Malden, his sister Patricia Pampillonia and her husband Frank of Massachusetts, his sister Diane Russo-Harris and her husband Dana of Maine, and many nieces and nephews, extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his parents and his daughter Kimberly of Marlboro.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 23rd at 11 AM in the Federated Church of Ashland, 118 Main St. Ashland, MA. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, 5-7 PM at the Matarese Funeral Home, 325 Main Street, Ashland.  In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Federated Church of Ashland.