Sortino, Peter G. Fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church Friday March 24, 2017, at his home in Sunset Hills, of Pancreatic Cancer.
Peter, who was 62, built a remarkable record of accomplishment over the entire St. Louis Area. First as an aide to St. Louis Mayors Vincent Schoemehl and Freeman Bosley Jr., then as President of St. Louis 2004, and later as President of the Danforth Foundation, he played a key role in much of St. Louis’s progress during the last 30 years, including the renovation of Forest Park, the redevelopment of Washington Avenue and the construction of Scottrade Center.
He was proudest, however, of his role in establishing the network of Park and Trails now being built across the bi-state area. In 2000 Peter led a metropolitan-wide campaign to secure voter approval of a sales tax increase that funded the establishment of this network, which in Missouri is being built by the Great Rivers Greenway District.
In 2013 Peter followed up these victories by helping to shepherd a successful campaign for the sales tax hike that is now helping to fund CityArchRiver – the redevelopment of the Gateway Arch Grounds.
Meanwhile, Peter became the first, and to date only chairman of the nonprofit, St. Louis Regional Health Commission (RHC), which has improved access to healthcare for tens of thousands of the uninsured and underinsured.
Born and raised in Yonkers, N.Y., Peter attended Catholic schools there before earning a degree in urban planning and design for the University of Cincinnati, where he also met his future wife, the former Leslie Gillman. The couple moved to St. Louis in 1977.
In 1987, Schoemehl hired Peter and made him his liaison with the Board of Alderman. Under Schoemehl and his successor, Bosley, Peter achieved success after success with the Alderman, by listening to their concerns, finding ways to address them and never giving up. Trusted across all lines – political, geographic and racial – he was aided by a reputation for impeccable honesty, as well as, a gift for comic mimicry and a sense of the absurd.
In 1996, Peter joined St. Louis 2004, a nonprofit, aimed at improving the community in the run-up to the centennial of the World’s Fair here. Becoming President in 2000, he led the organization until it was dissolved at the end of 2004. Both the trails network and the RHC grew out of St. Louis 2004.
From 2005 to 2011, Peter served as President of the Danforth Foundation, where he helped lay the groundwork for CityArchRiver. Serving as well on the board of Forest Park Forever, he led successful efforts to secure funds for both the improvement and the maintenance of Forest Park. After the Danforth Foundation spent down it’s assets and closed, Peter became Assistant Vice Chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis, Community Relations.
A devout Catholic, Peter started each day with prayer. At home, he was more than a devoted husband and father – he was also the gourmet chef, backyard chicken farmer and home-improvement master craftsmen.
He is survived by his wife Leslie; their son, Philip A. Sortino, of St. Louis; his mother Mary Sortino and a sister Paula Celona, both of Yonkers. His father, Peter P. Sortino and a sister Elaine J. Sortino, preceded him in death.
Services: A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Ambrose Church, 5130 Wilson Ave., Tuesday, March 28, 10 am (Interment to follow at Calvary Cemetery, 5239 West Florissant Ave,). In lieu of flowers, donations appreciated to the Great Rivers Greenway Foundation, 6178 Delmar Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63112. Visitation at KUTIS AFFTON CHAPEL, 10151 Gravois Rd., Monday, March 27, 3-8 pm.