Arthur Zemon’s Family Tree

Alfred Peter "Pete" Giarrusso, a retired vice president of academics at Delgado Community College, died Wednesday of pneumonia at Lifecare Hospitals of New Orleans. He was 83 years of age.

Mr. Giarrusso was a lifelong resident of New Orleans. He graduated from Warren Easton High School. He received bachelor's and master's degrees from Tulane University and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Arkansas.

Mr. Giarrusso began his career at Delgado in 1950 and held a variety of positions including English professor, athletic director, director of guidance, dean of employee relations and assistant to the president.

He was former director of the Delgado Law Enforcement Program and a guest lecturer for the New Orleans Police Academy. He retired from Delgado in 1981.

Mr. Giarrusso was a boxing referee and judge licensed by the Louisiana Athletic Commission. He was also licensed in Texas; Alabama; Marsala, Italy; Japan and Indonesia. He was a former member of the boxing teams at Warren Easton, Loyola University and the New Orleans Athletic Club.

Before WW II, Pete Giarrusso lived for several years at Biloxi, Mississippi where he was physical director and trained young boxers at St. Michael's CYO. Thelma G. Bellande, his sister, lived at Biloxi at this time. He ran for Justice of the Peace in Harrison County, Mississippi Beat1 in June 1939. Pete joined the American national Insurance Company at Biloxi in September 1940.

He was a former president of the University of New Orleans chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, and was a member of the Louisiana Personnel and Guidance Association, the Louisiana chapter of the International Personnel Management Association, the Association of Louisiana College and University Personnel Administrators, the advisory committee for the University of New Orleans Counselor Training Program and the Region VI Manpower Advisory Committee. He was a Navy veteran of World War II.

Survivors include his wife, Zona Turnoy Giarrusso; a son, Peter James Giarrusso of Denham Springs [just retired as Ass't Atty General of Louisiana]; three daughters, Judy Hansen of Seattle, Jerel Giarrusso of Zachary and Joel Giarrusso of Fayetteville, Ark.; three brothers, Harold "Happy" Giarrusso, Clarence Giarrusso and Joseph Giarrusso; a sister, Thelma Bellande of Biloxi, Miss.; and six grandchildren.