Obituary of Peter Anthony Rienzi

Peter A. Rienzi, 63, Devoted Family Man and Former Prudential Executive On Thursday, May 3 2018, Peter A. Rienzi died at the age of 63. Peter, a resident of Warren, New Jersey since 1989, was raised in Nutley, New Jersey. Anyone who knew Peter knows that he was proudest of his family; his wife, Debbie, and his two sons, Robert and Stephen. Before passing, it was Peter's wish that this notice mention that he was blessed with more than 32 years of loving marriage with Debbie. He was forever grateful that she so unhesitatingly offered to donate a kidney to him in 1997 (the transplant occurred on February 16, 1998 – the date that Peter considered their true Valentine's Day as it was a lasting testament to Debbie's love and loving sacrifice). Similarly, he wanted it noted that he felt truly blessed to have Robert and Stephen as loving and loyal sons with many outstanding qualities that will serve them well as their life continues to unfold. Nothing mattered more to him than the three of them. Peter attended Holy Family Grammar School in Nutley. He attended Essex Catholic High School in Newark where he graduated in 1972. At graduation he received the award as the top Social Studies student and honorable mention for Religion. Peter earned his B.S. in Psychology from Fairleigh Dickenson University in 1976 where he had been selected to the University's Honor College and graduated summa cum laude. Peter was awarded the Robert Crook Stanley Fellowship from Stevens Institute of Technology where in 1978 he earned an M.S. in Applied Psychology. Peter was involved in various church activities throughout his life. Through high school, he was an altar boy at Holy Family Parish in Nutley. As a young adult of the Parish, he became a Eucharistic Minister and ultimately served as a Parish Council member, a Social Concerns Committee member, and then Parish Council President. At Our Lady of the Mount in Warren he served as a Eucharistic Minister and religious education teacher. Peter taught religious education, served as a lector, and briefly as a member of the Pastoral Council at Saint Mary's Stony-Hill in Watchung. He also coached his sons in Warren baseball and soccer programs for multiple years. Peter, a Mensa member, retired from Prudential in 2018 with almost 41 years of service. Hired as part of the Eastern Home Office Advanced Management Training Program, he was proudest of his contributions in the Corporate Office as Director, Employee Benefits; Vice President, HR Operations; and Vice President, Integrated Disability Management. Peter strove for work and family balance years before it was acceptable for many men, especially with corporate executive responsibilities, to do so. He was always grateful for the support of multiple Prudential superiors in this regard. During his career, Peter earned several professional designations: Senior Professional Human Resources, Global Professional Human Resources, and Fellow, Life Management Institute. The designations that truly mattered most, however, were simply husband and father.