Joseph L. "Joe" Pedigo Obituary (1943 - 2015)

Joseph L. "Joe" Pedigo, 71, of Normal, passed away at 4:40 p.m., Monday, March 23, 2015 in Ormond Beach, Florida.His funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington, with Rev. Kelley Becker officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at the funeral home. Interment will immediately follow services at Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, the International Towing Recovery Museum Survivor Fund to support the families of towing operators killed in the line of service, 3315 Broad St, Chattanooga TN 37408, or to the PTROI Legislative or Education Funds, 7667 W 95th St, Suite 6W, Hickory Hills, IL 60457.Joe was born December 1, 1943 in Lincoln, IL, son of William and Hazel Brown Pedigo. He married Ann "Sharon" Correll on February 24, 1973 in Bloomington. Surviving are his wife, Sharon, of Normal; six children, Cheryl (fianc" Terry Londo) Pedigo of Normal, Scott Hays of Bloomington, David Pedigo of Germany, Bruce (Christy) Pedigo and Connie (Walter) Branson, both of Normal and Karen (Gregg) Heinrich of Bloomington. Also surviving are 12 grandchildren, Miranda, Kathryn, Joshua, Noah and Dominik Pedigo; William and Elizabeth Heinrich; Laura and Emily Branson; Christina, Candice and Robert Hays; and a sister, Jane Huskisson of Las Vegas, NV. Joe was a United States Air Force veteran.Joe was the owner and operator of Joes Towing Recovery in Bloomington since its inception in 1969. He also worked as a Normal Police Officer in 1973. He was very active in both state and national towing associations, having served on the legislative committees for both the Professional Towing Recovery Operators of IL and the Towing Recovery Association of America. He served 2 terms as President of the PTROI and was the sitting President of the TRAA at the time of his death. He was inducted into the International Towing Recovery Hall of Fame in 2007. Joe held Level 3 Heavy Recovery Specialist certification by the TRAA as well as WreckMaster 6/7 certification. He also previously served on the board of ABC Counseling Services in Normal. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Normal. Joe enjoyed spending his time in Ormond Beach, FL with his wife, but when he was home, he could always be found at the family business. He also enjoyed rebuilding equipment, always having a project he was tinkering with, and spending time with his grandchildren. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends and colleagues.