Peter Jordan Mazza

Peter Jordan Mazza, beloved husband, father, son, brother and uncle; trusted colleague; cherished friend; and giver of life advice, words of wisdom, and leadership, died Monday, September 1, 2020, at the age of 42. He passed away in his love-filled home, with his three favorite girls, Megan, Elsie and Cora, by his side, and his young son Christopher playing with trucks in the next room.

Peter was born in Canton, Illinois and grew up in Cheshire, Connecticut, where he spent every spare moment of his childhood playing sports and skiing. One of the great loves of Peter’s life was athletic competition. Indeed, he was a competitive ski racer and standout high school athlete in both baseball and football. He led the Cheshire High School football team to State Championships all four years that he played. As with so many other things, Pete excelled in sports not only because of his natural ability, but because he worked tirelessly to be the very best player, teammate, and leader.

After high school, Peter spent one year at Avon Old Farms and then attended Yale University, where he majored in History and played starting linebacker for the Yale football team. Notably, Peter was chosen as the captain of the Yale football team his senior year, an honor made even greater by the fact that only one player served in that role each year. Pete’s leadership on the football field set him apart. As his friend and teammate, Than Merrill recently said, “Pete led by example and was always prepared for every situation. He was the wise old man amongst young men trying to find their way.”

Peter graduated from Yale with distinction and spent the next year working for then Senator Joe Biden, and caring for his mother Maureen during her battle with cancer – a true testament to the fact that his dedication to hard work and public service was only surpassed by his dedication to his family.

In 2005, Peter earned his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. It was there that he met his beloved wife Megan, introducing himself with a handshake at a law school bowling league night. Peter and Megan moved to San Diego after law school, where Peter began his legal career as a clerk for District Court Judge Marilyn Huff, and then became an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California. Peter’s time at the U.S. Attorney’s office was spent prosecuting gangs, violent crimes, and major frauds. He then entered private practice at Jones Day, where he quickly became a partner and a trusted friend and adviser to his colleagues and clients. In 2019 Pete returned to the U.S. Attorney’s office as the First Assistant United States Attorney, a role he cherished. Pete was diagnosed with stage iv colon cancer just one month after his swearing-in; yet, his dedication to public service, and the U.S. Attorney’s office in particular, gave him the determination to continue working nearly full-time while simultaneously undergoing grueling cancer treatments, procedures, and surgeries.

Peter will be remembered not only for his tireless work ethic, athletic prowess, daredevil skiing adventures and innate leadership skills, but also for his principled approach to life and his great sense of humor. He was all of the things we should all aspire to be – honest, kind, loyal, reliable, compassionate, fun-loving and always pushing himself and everyone around him to do and be their very best. His Yale football coach, Jack Siedlecki recently said, “I can’t tell you how many guys said, I want my kids to grow up to be like Peter Mazza.”

In 2006 Peter married Megan on a beautiful January day in Chicago. Peter approached marriage and fatherhood as he did all other things in life: with passion, kindness, and an unending supply of strength and love. He was a dedicated partner to Megan as they built a life and a family in San Diego over the last 14 years. Raising his three children – Elsie (9), Cora (7), and Christopher (3) – was the greatest joy of his life. Peter’s intellect, athleticism, and love for the outdoors, made him the very best playmate, ballet shoe tier, homework helper, pancake maker, owie fixer, Happy Bear camping partner, advice giver, softball coach, and fort builder three kids could ever want.

Peter spent the last 18 months of his life battling cancer, and he did so with an enormous amount of strength and courage. He never let his disease define how he lived his life. Instead, he worked, fathered, and deepened his friendships, all while he fought for his life. A deep and abiding faith in God defined both his battle with cancer and his life. Peter’s faith never wavered, and even in his final days he told his children to have hope, believe in miracles, and assured them that they would be okay. Peter was a leader to the very end, showing us not only how to live, but also how to die with courage and faith.

Peter is survived by Megan, Elsie, Cora and Christopher; his father Francis and his wife Sharon; his sister Erika, brother-in-law Todd and niece Kaya; his father- and mother-in-law, Attila and Patricia Weninger; his sister-in-law Elizabeth Vander Woude and niece Olivia; his brother- and sister-in-law Chris Weninger and Rebecca Cohen; and innumerable friends. Peter was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Maureen Mazza. We take great comfort in the fact that Peter and Maureen are reunited once again.

An internment will be held for Peter on Monday, September 7th at 2:00 p.m. at El Camino Cemetery, located at 5600 Carroll Canyon Road, San Diego, 92121. The service will be held outdoors so there are no restrictions on the number of people who may attend, but the family requests that all guests wear face masks and adhere to social distancing guidelines.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to help support Megan, Elsie, Cora and Christopher. A GoFundMe has been started, which you can access here: