LYNN — Pete Pedro, who earned the alliterative nickname “Pistol” for the electrifying way he ran with the football in high school and college, died at his home early Sunday at the age of 76.
Pedro, a 1959 graduate of Lynn Trade, is considered the best athlete in the school’s history. He later went to West Texas State, where he was one of the nation’s leading rushers and a 1962 Newspaper Enterprise Association All-America selection.
Those who knew Pedro say he is one of the top athletes ever to come out of Lynn.
“No question,” said Frank Carey, himself one of Lynn’s most celebrated athletes and coaches. “He was one heck of an athlete.”
After graduating from Trade in 1959, where he was a standout football player, he went to Trinidad Junior College in Colorado, and then to West Texas State (now West Texas A&M University). In his sophomore season, Pedro was the second-leading rusher in the nation. Pedro had led the nation all fall until Jim “Preacher” Pilot of New Mexico State scored six touchdowns in his final game to overtake him.
After he graduated from college, Pedro signed with the Boston Patriots and spent a year on their taxi squad.
“About 10 or so years ago,” said Tony Nicosia, another of his friends, “he was flown down to Texas, where he was named as one of the top 50 Texas athletes of all time. They still remember him.”
Nicosia said that when Pedro got to to Canyon, Texas to play for the Buffalos, his coach was not overwhelmed with his size.
“So it was kind of ‘wait and see,'” Nicosia said. “But there was a practice where their main running back wasn’t hitting his holes, so the coach called over, and next thing you know, Pete’s breaking a 70-yard run. A few plays later, he did it again.”
Yet for all his athletic ability and accomplishments, Pedro’s humility stood above them all, another friend, Tom Iarrobino, said.
“He brought a lot of pride to the city,” he said, “but
never, ever talked about himself. If you wanted to dig into some of his triumphs you’d have to drill down pretty deep to get him to talk about them.
“Never did he brag or say one thing about himself in all the years I knew him. He’s probably the most humble man I ever met.”
When St. Mary’s boys basketball coach Dave Brown was a junior in high school, he began dating Pedro’s daughter Helen. He eventually married her. Brown said Pedro went to at least 90 percent of his games, both when he coached for Winthrop High and later for the Spartans.
“For me,” Brown said, “wherever I went in this city, everyone knew him. I took a lot of pride when people referred to me as his son-in-law.
“Everyone knew his accomplishment as an athlete,” said Brown, who was a standout both in football and basketball for St. Mary’s. “He became my No. 1 supporter when I got the job in Winthrop. Not only did I lose a father-in-law, but I lost a close friend whom I looked up to.”
Pedro was among a group of Lynn men, along with Nicosia, Iarrobino, and Carey, who went to New York every March for the Big East basketball tournament. Nicosia said he was constantly amazed at how many people, especially older fans, who had congregated in the various Manhattan establishments, remembered Pedro’s exploits.
Also, said Iarrobino, he was a great story teller.
“And boy, could he embellish them,” he said.
“This is definitely a sad day,” said Carey. “I don’t know anyone who could say a bad word about Peter. He was a real great guy. I know you hear that all the time when people die, but in this case, it’s really true. Just a real good guy.
“I pulled lots of crazy pranks on him, and he always took it in good fun,” said Carey.
“What he brought to Lynn in his heyday in terms of recognition puts him in a very rare category,” said Iarrobino. “Much the same as with Harry Agganis, the humility of Pete from the best of times to the worst of times is what made him so special.”
Pedro leaves his wife, Gloria, his son, Peter Jr., and his daughters Mimi Pedro of Chicago, Kristen Cheever of Fayetteville, N.C., and Helen Brown of Lynn.
He will be waked Sunday, from 3 to 7 p.m. (time is tentative) at Solimine Funeral Home, Broadway, Lynn. The funeral is Monday at Sacred Heart Church in Lynn at a time still to be determined.
