Peter Russo

PETER ANTHONY RUSSO, passed away April 26, 2024, aged 45 years. Beloved fiancé of Teresa Stahlberg, loving son of Judith (nee Lapka) and the late Anthony, cherished brother of Phil and Mike (Athena), treasured uncle to Christina, fond nephew, cousin and friend to many, and devoted pet-dad to Diamond and Joey.

On September 1, 1978, Judith and Anthony Russo welcomed a baby boy at Hillcrest Hospital, Peter Anthony Russo. Little did they know that the two of them alone would unleash a ripple in the universe and cause havoc for 45 years. Pete, with his motor mouth, was able to get along with anyone and everyone and always made people feel safe. He also was a judge of good character and if someone was hurting another person, he did not hesitate to intervene. No matter the situation he was put in, he was always confident, optimistic and the life of the party with jokes and stories for days.

For most of his life, Pete resided in South Euclid with his family and grew up with his cousins as second sisters and brothers. During his primary years, Pete attended St. Gregory the Great, and went home to get beaten up by his two older brothers, Mike and Phil. Fortunately, his Grandma Wanda came and lived with his family who became a huge influence on his love for music. Pete would later become a karaoke god with the voice of an angel, and unbeatable at the game Shazam because he knew ALL the music from the 1920’s to current day. During the summers you could find Pete on the baseball field playing for South Euclid’s boys baseball league.

While in high school at Brush, Pete was known for loving old cars. He was a fan of the older the car, the better. You could look at the parking lot and know Pete’s car because he had his ugly green 1970 Pontiac. He also enjoyed motorcycles as well. With friends, he would go play paintball religiously after getting interested in history and World War II.

He started his career path at the age of 14 with Mayfield Country Club. Because of his tenacious work ethic, Pete was able to cultivate the phrase “I’m Pete” referring to why he was allowed to do many things that others were not. He continued to work for country clubs at Barrington and Beechmont on and off with his brothers. After graduating, he went onto earn a CDL that would become his main focus for the remainder of his career. Driving a truck is all he wanted to do. He drove for The Plain Dealer third shift where his father had worked. He also spent 15+ years with the Ohio Lottery at Intralot installing most of their lottery machines in the state of Ohio with a headband on. Pete also drove on two separate occasions for Heidelberg Distribution delivering alcoholic products.

When thinking of Pete, people knew he loved anything that was sci-fi related. You couldn’t have a conversation with him about the genre without hearing Battlestar Galactica a million times. He would always give you great recommendations when it came to TV shows or movies because he saw them all. He also became “the guy” for anything technology wise or how to find a deal. Pete always said that if he won the lottery and didn’t have to worry about money, he would open a small shop and just help people with their computers for a fair price, if not free.

He was also a frequent flier and loyal patron to the House of Swing. Pete loved the bar so much, his email and gaming handles became houseofswing. The bar was his identity because he adored their local admiration of music with live bands and records. Pete has always been a Cleveland fan, but mostly a Cleveland Browns football fan. When it came to the game on TV, or his virtual PFL Madden Football League he was in, Pete was always willing to help others while also dominating his opponents. Because of this, the league has enshrined him into the PFL Hall of Fame commemorated with a golo jacket. They renamed their championship trophy from the Lombardi Trophy to the Pete Russo Trophy to honor his legacy.

Pete accomplished everything he wanted to do while with us. He went to Greece with his brother and saw the Parthenon, Alexander the Great’s Tomb, landmarks for the movie 300, and ate a LOT of fresh food that was unmatched. When his neighbor offered him tickets, he went with his mother to the Indian’s game during their 22-win streak. He was very proud of buying his home in Lyndhurst and would tell you every time what kind of a deal he got on it. Jokingly, he would always complain about the raccoons who occupy the upstairs, but we all know how much he treasured having them. While at home, he adored being with his dogs, Diamond and Joey, and laughing at their antics. When his fiancée, Teresa, asked him if there was anything else he wanted to do when initially diagnosed, he said the only thing left to do was to find his person and he did just that. He was an 80’s kid from South Euclid and that is how he will always be remembered.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Peter suggested to The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, 13815 Coit Rd., Cleveland, OH 44110. Family will receive relatives and friends to pay tribute and celebrate the life of Peter at THE DeJOHN-FLYNN-MYLOTT FUNERAL HOME OF SOUTH EUCLID, 4600 MAYFIELD RD. (just East of Green Rd.) SATURDAY AFTERNOON 1-3 PM.