Deloitte exec Greg Pellegrino dies at 55

Deloitte executive Greg Pellegrino, 55, has died of a heart attack. He was a principal in Deloitte’s government and public sector practice and veteran of the firm for 22 years.

His obituary on Legacy.com describes a man who was both widely admired in business as well as in his personal life.

“He was generous, funny, playful, wickedly smart and exceedingly kind,” the obituary states.

Tributes on Facebook also described a man who “had an outsized impact on us," as one person put it.

“At work and play, Greg led a big life, living every day, every moment, to its fullest,” that person wrote.

Others described him as a “phenomenal leader,” “incredibly inspiring,” and “full of energy and joy.”

Pellegrino was part of the early public sector consultants at Deloitte, helping to build that business from just a handful of people and clients to one of the leading providers in the market. He worked across multiple customers including the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, plus Federal Aviation Administration.

Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he led the redesign of federal aviation security, according to his obituary. Other areas include highway safety and a national organ transplantation system.

Pellegrino's obituary states he also was a champion of diversity, inclusion and equity who used his position to support the underserved and underrepresented.

The obituary described him as a “big kid at heart” who brought levity and humor to many situations.

The obituary also describes how dedicated he was to his wife and family. It apparently was love at first sight when he met Kristiane Kristensen, also known as "KK." Their first date lasted 10 days.

He reveled in his wife’s successes, often following her with a camera. The day he died he was at horse show taking photos of KK jumping her horses.

Pellegrino died April 25. He was the son of Annette Ester Pellegrino Fontaine and the late Richard Louis Pellegrino, who died when Greg was 15.

In addition to his wife and mother, survivors include three children from his first marriage, John, Roman and Mia, two brothers, Jeff and Chris Pellegrino; his mother’s husband, Mel Fontaine.

Funeral arrangements have not been disclosed.