Nov 21, 2013

Devoted to family and education

Orlando M. Jardini, 85, died peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, Thursday, November 21, 2013.

A son of the late Paschaol (Patsy) Jardini and Michelina Mancini Jardini of Carrick, he was born October 11, 1928, in Pittsburgh, and spent most of his life in Brentwood. Mr. Jardini moved to Meadow Lands three years ago.

Surviving are his beloved wife of 51 years, Linda Price Jardini; three children, David (Dawn Shober) of Meadow Lands, Nancy Jardini (Morris J. Panner) of Chevy Chase, Md., and Michele Jardini (Sean) Gannon of Hermosa Beach, Calif.; 10 grandchildren, Patrick David Jardini of Houston, Jacqueline Mariana (JJ) Jardini, Catherine Price (Rinnie) Jardini, Grazia Linda (Gracie) of Meadow Lands, Michelina (Mikey) Jardini Panner, David Jardini Panner, Josephine (Joey) Jardini Panner, Martine (Nini) Jardini Panner of Chevy Chase, Orlando Jacob (Jake) Gannon and Eleanor (Elle) Louise Gannon of Hermosa Beach; and a great-grandson, Ethan Patrick Jardini of Navarre, Fla. He will also be missed by his special friends, the Artmans of Norman, Okla., the Kuchta family of Baldwin and the Larragoite family of Annapolis, Md., along with many dear cousins and relatives in Brazil.

His life was devoted to his family and to education. After graduating from Brentwood High School in 1946, Mr. Jardini entered the family masonry business until serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Following his military service, he became the first member of his extended family to attend college, earning a Bachelor of Arts (1956), a Master of Letters (1957) and Ph.D. in Spanish (1967) from the University of Pittsburgh. He began his teaching career at Thomas Jefferson High School in 1956, leaving that school to continue his graduate studies in 1963. He was a Teaching Fellow (1963-64) and Mellon Fellow (1964-65) at the University of Pittsburgh, instructor and assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University (1965-68), and associate professor and professor at Chatham College (1970-1994). Mr. Jardini retired from Chatham College as Professor Emeritus in 1994. His teaching career also included a long association with the University of Oklahoma, including summer institutes beginning in 1960 and programs at the cultural studies center in Colima, Mexico, from 1967 to 1993.

He was a lifelong resident of Brentwood, member of the Brentwood School Board (1971-1995), co-founder of the Brentwood High School Hall of Fame and an officer of the Brentwood High School Alumni Association since its founding. Mr. Jardini was an inductee of the Brentwood Hall of Fame. He also served the Mon Valley School for Exceptional Children and the Steel Center Area Vocational Technical School as a board member for 22 years, as well as the Carriage House Children’s School, Squirrel Hill, for 18 years. Upon his retirement in 1994, he and his beloved wife, Linda, enjoyed many years of travel throughout the world.

Friends will be received from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, November 23, at John F. Slater Funeral Home Inc., 412-881-4100, 4201 Brownsville Road, Brentwood. At 6:30 p.m., friends are asked to gather at the South Hills Country Club for a Memorial Celebration reception and dinner. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Brentwood Library, 3501 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15227 or Family Hospice & Palliative Care, 50 Moffett Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15243. Please send condolences to www.johnfslater.com.