The Heartbeat - Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine

The
Heartbeat
The Pedone Family… Creating a Lasting Legacy
For four generations, the Pedone family has impacted our local
community through their generosity, believing that service and
giving are essential family values.
Grandparents, Phillip and Lena married in 1931, and have
resided in Lakeland since the 1950s. Phillip’s life started out
extremely difficult. At age five, even before starting kindergarten,
he would wake up at 5am to work for his family by picking
apricots at a nearby farm. Sadly, he ended up dropping out of
school at age ten, to help financially support his family. He was
one of nine children. Despite his hardship growing up, Phillip
became an avid reader and read everything he could get his hands
on. Daily, he read The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,
trade and engineering magazines.
Tiffany, Elle, Lena, and Mary
Lena and Phillip gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Mary. Mary growing up never lived in any one city for more
than two years, as her father was in the construction industry and moved where the jobs would take him. After
the family settled in Lakeland, Mary went away to college at the University of Florida. Coming home in the
summer, she would volunteer with her mother, Lena, as Pink Ladies in the gift shop at Lakeland Regional
Medical Center. Lena was also a member of Lakeland Regional Medical Center’s Auxiliary. She coordinated the
Christmas Gift Shop for the hospital as well. Lena also enjoyed being a member of the Engineers Wives Club,
where she served as secretary.
Mary’s passion was teaching and she taught in the Brevard and Polk County School system for 17 years at
various schools including North Lakeland Elementary, Kathleen Elementary, Jesse Keen Elementary and
Combee Elementary. She was a Title 1 teacher, placed in failing schools to help children that were struggling.
After Mary gave birth to Tiffany, she retired from teaching to become a stay home mother.
Phillip, only having a 5th grade education, knew that he could only climb so far in the company he was with
without having a formal education. After working at Rust Engineering Company for 17 years as a construction
superintendent and construction manager for the Wellman-Lord Construction Company, Phillip decided to
venture out and start his own business. In 1960, he started P.J. Pedone Company and Pedone Engineering
Corporation. Growing them to more than 600 employees, P.J. Pedone Company was also listed as one of the
Fortune 500 companies in the 1970s.
A few of the projects that P.J. Pedone Company built were IMC, the first phase of the construction of the
Lakeland Power Plant, the expansion of CF Industries Plant at the Tampa Terminal, Amour Agricultural
Chemical Company, Alpha Chemical Company, Hardee Football Stadium, Power Plant in Tampa, The
Rockland Mine and W.R. Grace Plant in Bartow.
“Our mission is providing primary health care to the working uninsured of Polk County.”
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While growing his own business,
LVIM is currently seeking a volunteer Ophthalmologist and an
Phillip was also always involved in
Optometrist
to see patients at the clinic. We would like to extended a warm
the community. He sat on many
thank you to Dr. Alan Rich and Dr. John Glotfelty who volunteered in the
boards, including Florida Sheriff’s
Ophthalmology Department for 10 years and 11 years respectively. Also,
Youth Ranch, president of West
a
sincere thank you to Lakeland Eye Clinic’s Dr. Brian Renz and Dr. Kevin
Coast Chapter of American General
Dorsett for currently seeing LVIM patients in their offices.
Contractors, Barnett Bank’s Board
of Directors, Leadership Club Charter Member for Florida Baptist Children’s Home and Club Member of 1914 Society at LRMC. Also, Lena and
Phillip continued giving financially to many charities including Lakeland Cancer Center, Florida Baptist
Children’s Home, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Wellman Care Center and Bascom Palm Eye Institute.
Mary’s daughter Tiffany remembers sitting on her grandfather Phillip’s lap listening to stories on how he helped
change lives quietly without wanting any recognition. Once, Phillip had a secretary who he observed walking
to and from work and decided to help buy her a car, so she would have transportation. She remembers another
story of how his yard caregiver, Art, passed away and had no money for a funeral. Phillip paid for the funeral and
made Art’s last wish come true by sending his body back to his home state to be buried with his family.
As Phillip got older, he was diagnosed with glaucoma and first lost vision in one eye and eventually in both. This
was a genetic condition as his mother was blind. So, spending the last 13 years of his life visually impaired, he
managed to make the best of his situation. When going out into the community, people would not know he was
blind as he was able to get around so well in his surroundings. Phillip also had kidney failure and eventually lost
his life on January 8, 1999. Lena, continuing their giving legacy gave a major gift to LVIM’s Capital Campaign to
fund the Ophthalmology Suite in 2000.
Following in her grandparents’ footsteps, Tiffany Osler, is continuing the legacy of giving back. This year, Tiffany
is the president of the Junior League of Greater Lakeland; she was also a committee member for LVIM’s
Lakeland Derby. Tiffany also goes out of her way to help others in any way she can. In June, she graciously
opened up her home for a friend’s daughter’s high school graduation party for 100 people.
Tiffany is also instilling these same core values in her own two children, Elle and
Chase. Elle, who is eight, recently volunteered six hours at the World of Reading by
passing out popcorn to more than 1,500 guests. When Elle’s volunteer shift had ended,
she said to her mom, “I have to stay and pass out the rest of the popcorn to kids; we
don’t want it to go to waste”. Tiffany believes if her grandfather could work a full 10
hours a day, 5 days a week at such an early age, then her daughter can begin to
volunteer her time for local non-profits. “My Grandfather said Tiffany, was and
continues to be my inspiration and hero in everything I do. I am blessed to have had
him in my life”.
Phillip Pedone
This generational example of service and giving exemplified by the Pedone family is an
inspiration to us all. Like a ripple effect, the good we do in our lifetimes continues to
create positive impact well beyond the present into the future. The Pedone Family
is creating a lasting legacy.
Heartbeat Extras
Congratulations to the following volunteers who received service hour awards from LVIM:
Tom Crawford, RPh 4000 hours; Mary Ann Johnson 2000 hours; S.C. Huang, M.D. 2000 hours;
Louise Carroll, RN 1000 hours; Janyce Freund, RN 1000 hours; Anna Beggs 500 hours; Debra Harper
500 hours; Mary Kathryn Stapleton 500 hours.
lvim.net • 1021 Lakeland Hills Boulevard, Lakeland, Fl 33805 • 863.688.5846
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