Harold A. Petrone “Happy” left this world peacefully at his home on January 31, 2018, at the age of 96. He was born on August 21, 1921 to Maria (Fusaro) and Giovanni Petrone and was raised in Cos Cob where he remained his entire life.


He attended Cos Cob School and then became a car mechanic.


In November of 1942, he enlisted in the Army and served as a member of the Headquarters Company 3rd Battalion 28th Infantry, fighting with his unit in France, Belgium and Germany. He fought in the disastrous battles of the Hurtgen Forest in the Rhineland, where a mistake in judgment sent Allied battle forces into dense forests with minimal visibility and a most difficult terrain to maneuver. These Allied losses were considered the bloodiest of the War in Europe.


After returning home from the war he married his sweetheart, Pauline Ragusa and had four children, Mary Bannon, June Ewing, Peter Petrone and Hal Petrone.


Happy went to work for the Highway Department on the road crew for the Town of Greenwich and spent many snowy nights clearing the roads all over town.


He had a great passion for golf that extended throughout his lifetime, and even at the age of ninety, he was still swinging the club. He especially enjoyed teaching his children and grandchildren to play. An avid gardener, Happy’s tomatoes were the best around and highly anticipated each summer by his neighbors and family. Though he no longer worked as a mechanic he still enjoyed tinkering with cars and was always eager to make repairs when called upon by family members.


He was predeceased by his wife Pauline in 1996 and by his siblings, Sam, Joseph, Amelia Caravetta, Laura Zaccagnino, Antoinette Molcan and Angelina Iaquzio.


He is survived by his four children, his grandchildren, David Bannon, Allyson Eide, Sean Ewing and Sarah Ewing, and his great grandchildren, Caroline and Yates Bannon, Megan and Tripp Eide and Andrew and Isabella Morin. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews.


A special thank you to his niece, Susan Curcuruto who was always there to help him.

We would also like to thank Dr. Christopher Edelmann and the nurses and aides from Vitas Healthcare for the loving support they provided over the past several months, especially during his final days.


There are no calling hours. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Catherine’s of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Avenue, Riverside, Connecticut at 11:00 am on Tuesday, February 6th. Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Greenwich.



1 Attached Images

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Harold A Petrone, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.