Roberto I. Pedroso

Roberto I Pedroso, 77, of Lakeland passed away on May 24, 2019. The son of Roberto Pedroso and Magdalena Pujals, he was born in Havana, Cuba in 1941. Roberto received his primary education at Colegio de los Hermanos de La Salle in Havana, where he earned all-star honors in football and basketball, and graduated at the top of his class in 1958. He studied for 2 years at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. In 1961, at age 19, he trained for the Bay of Pigs Invasion in the Florida Keys under the guidance of the CIA. A ship Navigator, he assisted in the delivery of personnel and weapons, and in the return of wounded fighters to their base. Following his exile to the US, Roberto returned to college at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, earning a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. He later earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering at Florida Technological University (now UCF) in Orlando, and his State of Florida Professional Engineer license. Roberto worked for several global engineering firms over a 40-year career, including Allied Chemical, Monsanto, WR Grace, Davy McKee, Jacobs and Badger. He lived in four US states during that time, and also for six years in Caracas, Venezuela, but his work took him all across the world. Roberto designed and oversaw the construction of facilities in North and South America, Europe, India and Asia. He was known among family and friends for his booming voice, which he used to prolifically root for his children in their many school and sports activities, as well as for his penchant to perform, often singing at birthday parties and weddings, belting out the Georgia Tech alma mater during football season, and reciting his own special rendition of The Night Before Christmas. Roberto was a proud Cuban American who loved both countries with great passion. He enjoyed traveling and spending time at Florida’s west coast beaches, being with his grandkids, watching Florida Gators football, music (especially Enrique Chia) and nature. Roberto is survived by his loving wife of 55 years, Viviana Crucet Pedroso, sons Alfredo (Beatriz) and Roberto (Glenda); daughter Viviana Varela (Jack), 8 grandchildren, who were his pride and joy and called him Nonno; sisters Maria and Irene (Sam) and several cousins, nieces and nephews and his beloved Tia Sylvia. In addition to his parents, Roberto was preceded in death by his sisters Elena and Sylvia Pedroso. A mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, June 8 at 12:30 PM at St Joseph’s Church in Lakeland. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to either St Joseph School (Lakeland) or Santa Fe Catholic School.