Peter Ruggieri

Cremation Services of Pennsylvania

Peter James Ruggieri, 53, of Lancaster, died on Saturday, March 4, 2023, due to an acute illness complicated by his long battle with cancer.  Pete was born on April 10, 1969, to Dino and Joy (Johnson) Ruggieri in Kennett Square, PA.   After graduating from Kennett High School in 1987, he went on to study occupational safety at Millersville University where he joined the Omicron Gamma Omega fraternity.  Over his life span, he worked in a variety of fields, including 911 dispatch for Chester County Emergency Services and sales for Verizon (formerly Bell Atlantic) and Gardner’s Mattress & More.  He was currently the Assistant Secretary of the Valley of Reading AASR.  In 2012, he met Stephanie Horst, and they wed in 2014.  Pete was known for his outrageous sense of humor, his charitable work, his love of Doberman Pincers, and his commitment to Freemasonry.  He was the head writer for the “People of Lancaster” Facebook page, through which he publicly shared his humorous observations on the culture and happenings of his adopted home city.  Pete was the founder of the Lancaster Santa Stumble.  What started as a holiday-themed bar crawl for his friends turned into an annual event with thousands of attendees.  To date, the Stumble has raised over $200,000 for the Lancaster Police Foundation for the horses and dogs of the mounted patrol and K-9 units.  Pete and his wife volunteered with the Delaware Valley Doberman Pincer Assistance.  They fostered numerous homeless dogs, including one who gave birth to a litter of 12 puppies in their home.  In 2022, Pete was the recipient of a WGAL 8 Who Care award in recognition of his charitable work.  He was an active member and current or past officer in several Masonic organizations, including Millersville Lodge 476, Ubar Grotto MOVPER, Lancaster Forest No. 27, Valley of Reading AASR, Junto Council No. 537 AMD, Goodwin Council No. 19, and Delaware Court No. 164.  Pete was creator and co-host of the Masonic Lite Podcast, which had a worldwide and intergalactic audience.  He was predeceased by his parents and his brothers Mark, Paul, and Dean Ruggieri. He is survived by his wife, Stephanie Horst; sister Lisa Vance and her husband Keith Adams; brother John Ruggieri and his wife Lori; and numerous nieces and nephews.  A private service will be held for family.  A public service will be announced in the coming weeks.    In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in support of thyroid cancer research at Jefferson Health. Contributions will help advance research under the direction of Pete’s oncologist and team, including Dr. Marcia Brose. Your generosity will help improve treatment options for other patients like Pete. Please make checks payable to “Jefferson” and mail to: Jefferson Health Office of Institutional Advancement, 125 S. 9th Street, Suite 600, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Please include “IMO Pete Ruggieri” in correspondence. Or you can give online by visiting https://giving. jefferson. edu/giving-guide/give. html. Please include “Pete Ruggieri” in the Notes.

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Peter Ruggieri Obituary | Cremation Services of Pennsylvania