Peter John Gravina, 66, a native Floridian, respected real-estate attorney, leader in the legal community, avid Gator fan, adored father, grandfather, husband, brother and friend, passed away on March 31 following a short but intense fight with brain cancer.
Born and raised in Miami, graduating from LaSalle High School, he received his BS degree in business from University of Florida and his J.D. degree from UF College of Law. While at UF he met his wife, Amy Burnett, and they married in 1978 and moved to Lee County, where he began his legal career.
Pete was proud to be a partner of the Pavese Law Firm where he practiced real property law for more than three decades. He held the distinction of being the first Board Certified Real Estate Lawyer in Lee County by the Florida Bar. He was dedicated to his profession and his community, serving as a board member and chairman of Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund, as the president of the Lee County Bar Association in 1997, and as a board member of the YMCA and Southwest Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Pete was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and his happiest times were spent with the family hiking in his beloved Montana, attending Gator games and having cocktails in his garden. He was immensely proud of his children, Sarah and Matthew, and delighted in celebrating their personal and professional achievements.
Pete was known for his gentle and measured demeanor. Friends enjoyed his dry wit, which he used sparingly but effectively. Pete was not one to gush over anything, but when he spoke people listened because he chose his words and thoughts so carefully. He enjoyed irony. He was a hyper-curious, lifelong learner. He was an adept griller of meat who openly shared his technique with friends, and he had an encyclopedic knowledge of the flora and geology of both his native state and his adopted state of Montana, where he and Amy spent a great deal of their time.
He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, but they are comforted knowing that he is now reunited with his son Matthew, who passed away in August of last year. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Amy, daughter and son-in-law Sarah and Aaron Crittenden, daughter-in-law Andrea Gravina, grandchildren Graham and Nora Gravina and sister and brother-in-law Patty and Ed Barker.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Pete’s memory to the UF Foundation (P.O. 100243, Gainesville FL 32610) to support brain tumor research at the University of Florida. Online at: UFgive.to/Tranlab/.
