Peter Giandomenico, born April 19, 1964, in Los Angeles, California, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on September 1, 2010, in Norfolk, Virginia. While on a beach vacation with his wife, children, grandchildren and father-in-law at the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Peter experienced a heart-related incident while swimming. He was immediately flown to Norfolk General Hospital in Virginia where the dedicated medical staff worked around the clock to stabilize him.  All attempts were made to revive him, but he never regained consciousness. He fought hard and held on until his parents and sisters arrived from the west coast and joined his wife, children and grandchildren in saying goodbye.

In his 46 years, Peter lived a fulfilling life. In addition to spending time with his family, he enjoyed many hobbies. In his youth, he could be found outdoors fishing, camping, hiking or riding his dirt bike in the mountains of California with his parents, Nick and Jonene, and his sisters, Dena and Lynne. Throughout his life, he was an avid reader and especially enjoyed historical fiction. He loved tinkering in his garage and always made sure the family vehicles were in top running condition.  He was also a bit of a computer nerd, a Mac aficionado all the way.

One of his favorite activities was working with his wife, Susan, on their backyard vegetable garden.  His favorite things to grow were heirloom tomatoes and hot chili peppers. He had a special skill of turning yard and kitchen scraps into rich homemade compost that he used on the garden. He was a naturally good cook who loved to fire up the barbecue and enjoy a good cheeseburger.  Recently, he started to more fully appreciate wine, honing his taste buds by attending wine festivals with his family. Two of his proudest moments as a father were walking his daughters, Jessica and Jolene, down the aisle on their wedding days. He developed a special bond with his sons-in-law, Jeremy and Eric, and was a fun and loving “Papa” to his little sidekicks, grandsons Elijah and Aiden.

Peter entered the Active Duty Army on January 2, 1986, for the simple, selfless reason of wanting to serve his country.  He proudly served over 20 years, retiring as a Staff Sergeant on January 31, 2006.

With his family, he lived at military bases across the U.S. and in Germany, and served abroad throughout Europe, in Korea and the Middle East.  He also participated in Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield.

During his career in Army Transportation, he held various positions in logistics, cargo handling, vehicle maintenance, combat support and as an instructor.  During the final six years of his career, he served on the personal staff of four Army Chiefs of Transportation, a position for which he was honored to have been hand-chosen.

His awards and ribbons include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (2nd award), Army Achievement Medal (3rd award), Army Good Conduct Medal (6th award), National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Korea Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Service Star (2nd award), Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (2nd award), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (3rd award), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait), and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He was especially humbled to have been awarded the Transportation Corps Regimental Association St. Christopher Medal.

Never one to sit idle, he spent the past four years as a Force Protection Officer at Fort Eustis, Virginia.

Peter spent his adult life helping others while serving his country.  His family finds much comfort in his last act of kindness as an organ and tissue donor.

The USO provided tremendous support to Peter and his family throughout his military career. While overseas, Peter always looked forward to care packages from home and believed they were one of the most comforting gifts a soldier could receive. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Operation USO Care Package in his memory.

Peter was interred with military honors on September 29, 2010, at Arlington National Cemetery.