Philip F. Petraglia

Philip F. Petraglia, 91, passed on Thursday, August 7, 2025. He was born on December 14, 1933 in Pittsburgh, PA and was the son of Frank and Mary (Cafaro) Petraglia. Upon graduation from St. Mary of the Mount High School in 1951 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy from September 1951 through October 1954. He served as a radio operator aboard the USS Wasp (CV-18) and USS Midway (CV-41) aircraft carriers and was aboard the Wasp in April 1952 when it struck and sunk the USS Hobson during night flight exercises in the North Atlantic Ocean killing 176 onboard in one of the worst peacetime Naval disasters of modern times. Upon discharge, he enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh where he met and married fellow graduate Carole Ann Goetze on August 17, 1957. After over 66 years of marriage, she preceded him in death in December 2023. He served as Advertising Manager for Quaker State from 1962 to 1988 in Oil City, PA where they raised sons Jeffrey (Jill) Petraglia of Albuquerque, NM, Philip (Virginia) Petraglia of Gibsonia, PA and Matthew Petraglia of Lorain, OH. He was awarded Oil City’s Man of the Year in 1966 and honored to meet Presidents Ford and Reagan during the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. They relocated to Sanford, NC in 1996 and in 2010 moved back to their hometown area of Pittsburgh, PA. Philip is also predeceased by his parents and sisters Mary Grace, Betty and Franny and survived by his sons, grandsons Joel, Jade, and Joshua Petraglia and many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was an avid Steeler, Penguin, Pirate and Pitt Panther fan and a history buff with special interest in The Civil War. Friends will be received from 10:00 to 11:00 AM on August 22 at the Bock Funeral Home, Ltd., 1500 Mt. Royal Blvd, Glenshaw followed by a Funeral Service at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers or other memorials, Philip asked that contributions be sent to the American Battlefield Trust.