Edward Paul Petrin
Edward (“Ed”) Paul Petrin, 64, passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2015, at Serenity House in Santa Barbara, right as the California sun set over the mountains on a beautiful evening. Ed was surrounded by his family and close friends at the time of his death, and his eldest daughter and wife were holding his hands as he took his final breath. Ed was a fighter like none other and had managed to survive 17 months of aggressive pancreatic cancer – mostly through his sheer willpower. His indomitable will to live was fueled by his desire to keep building and creating for as many days and hours as he possibly could.
Ed was born and raised in the copper mining town of Butte, Montana, son of Edward Paul Petrin Sr. and Rose Julia Petrin. Ed first met his wife Lisa Link during junior high school in Butte. They attended Butte High School and the University of Montana together as well, and they were married in December of 1973, soon after their graduation from college. At the time of Ed’s passing, Ed and Lisa had known each other for 52 years and had been married for nearly 42 years.
Ed was a builder, an entrepreneur, a creator. Nothing brought him more joy than envisioning new and exciting possibilities and then turning them into reality through his own hard work. He brought a fierce, committed, charging-forward energy to all that he did, and he always pushed the envelope, always asked “Why not” (try something new, teach yourself something new, do it your own way) rather than “Why?” And he always inspired and pushed those around him to be and do their best as well. He was strongly motivated to do things better than anyone else ever had. His standards were always impeccably, sometimes impossibly, high; his extreme thoroughness and attention to detail were unparalleled; and his pursuit of perfection was unrelenting. He brought these traits to bear on all that he did professionally, including designing transformational new business models, starting and building multiple companies as a serial entrepreneur, and building 3 beautiful custom-designed homes in Montecito. He also brought these traits to bear in his roles as a husband and father of three.
Ed’s sheer zest for life was powerful and infectious. He cherished his close friends, he loved a good meal and a good game of golf, and he always sought out the best possible way to experience everything – to the point where he would often dictate precisely which table one should choose, at a favorite restaurant, for the best view and ambiance, the optimal overall experience. He embraced life with a strong “carpe diem” spirit, and he also had an impish, mischievous streak that drove him to break a few rules here and there, always with a grin.
Ed loved his wife and his three children deeply, and he worked fiercely and tirelessly to provide opportunities for his children that he had not had as a child himself. He had an enormous heart with unmatched capacity for love, he was extremely generous to his friends and extended family, and he delighted in welcoming guests into the family home and to the family dinner table. During his final days, Ed’s greatest source of joy of all was his first and only grandchild, 22-month-old Parker Burch Matagrano, son of Ed’s youngest daughter Amy and her husband Andrew Burch Matagrano.
Ed is survived by his wife Lisa Petrin, his three children, Meredith Lea Petrin, Christopher Paul Petrin, and Amy Corinne Petrin Matagrano, his grandson Parker Burch Matagrano, his sisters Judith Josephine Petruska, of Renton, WA, and Lavenia Rose Malesich, of Yakima, WA, and several nieces and nephews.
Ed’s family extends profound thanks to the loving and attentive staff at the Sansum Cancer Center in Santa Barbara, who were always able to make Ed smile and laugh, and who provided him with the utmost care throughout his fight with pancreatic cancer. The teams from the Visiting Nurses’ Association and Hospice of Santa Barbara, Serenity House, and Simply Remembered were also godsends during Ed’s final weeks and days, providing valuable and timely wisdom and deeply compassionate care for Ed and his family.
Ed requested that there be no formal memorial service. His ashes will be scattered by his wife and children at a location of Ed’s choosing, in accordance with his last wishes.
Ed will be missed immensely by those who knew and loved him, but his powerful spirit will live on forever, through his children, family, friends, and colleagues, who will never forget his intense passion, his vision, his dedication, and his enormous love for life.