Pietro Comper, a Trentino entrepreneur and EoC pioneer, passed away today. Deepest condolences and gratitude have been expressed by all those who had the privilege of knowing and appreciating him.
by Antonella Ferrucci
It’s really hard for me to write these lines today because—I realize—with Pietro’s passing, a piece of my heart flies away. So please forgive me if I write spontaneously and speak of him as one speaks of a friend who has left us and whom we would have wanted to hold on to with all our strength.
I’ve known Pietro since 1997. The Economy of Communion was in its early stages, and I was working to support those graduating students who—responding to Chiara Lubich’s invitation to bring the EoC to universities to raise awareness of it—were struggling to write their first theses on the Economy of Communion. For those students, it was essential to connect with the first EoC entrepreneurs to study their behavior within their companies. It wasn’t easy to get them on board; the details of the early entrepreneurs were confidential. So, during an international EoC meeting held in Castel Gandolfo, I organized an effort to approach the entrepreneurs directly and ask for their willingness to participate. I tried with many of them, receiving only a few tentative commitments. It’s understandable: welcoming a thesis student into a company can be a demanding and very time-consuming undertaking. But I can’t forget what happened when I approached Pietro: he didn’t hesitate for a moment and told me:
“Send me as many students as you want—I’m available!”
That was Pietro, above all: always available. He has welcomed countless thesis students since then, and this is just one small example of the immense generosity he demonstrated on so many occasions. (The most recent example is the family’s request expressed in the obituary announcing his death today: “No flowers, but any donations for the Venezuela emergency may be sent to AMU via IBAN: IT 58 S 05018 03200 000011204344”).
His life was one long adventure, beginning with his first work experiences at age 13, described in his autobiography, and there are many adjectives that could be used to describe Pietro as an entrepreneur and as a person: authentic, brilliant, positive, down-to-earth, resilient, strong, welcoming, simple, humble, and at times prophetic... Those who did not have the privilege of knowing him can turn to the wonderful interview he gave to “Sulla Via di Damasco” or the video interview with Sara Maria Alvarez for the EoC series “Flashes of Life and Roots”, published just over a year ago. I highly recommend watching them.
Getting back to us, since that distant 1997, over the years Pietro and I have crossed paths on many occasions, and our mutual understanding and respect have always grown, evolving into a beautiful friendship. I still remember a phone call with him during the Covid months, when most companies were facing great difficulties. Pietro told me with great simplicity that, in fact, for his company Tecnodoor, the period wasn’t a bad one. The reason? They had listened carefully to their customers’ needs and had produced an innovative type of window and door system that had anticipated market demands, giving the company a competitive advantage. In other words, they were doing what an entrepreneur’s true calling is: not producing useless items and then trying to convince customers they need them, but identifying a genuine need that the market hasn’t yet addressed—and being the first to meet it. What could be more effective marketing? I recall, however, that for Pietro, the point wasn’t “being first” but listening to and meeting his customers’ needs (dare I say, “loving them?”) and that the positive consequences for his company had left him pleasantly surprised. Pietro shared this business philosophy with his wife Maria Pia and his sons Damiano, Gloria, and Nicola, who continue to run the company in this same spirit today. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for carrying on his legacy!
When I leaf through the book in which he recounted his life—“Una vita fà”—I find the beautiful dedication Pietro chose to write for me. “To Antonella: friendship is one of the greatest values a person possesses!! With gratitude.” Our gratitude to you, Pietro, is all yours: for your positivity, for a life always lived in service to others, for your tireless commitment to young people, but above all for having truly and wholeheartedly believed in the EDC’s prophecy, demonstrating—when lived out—what amazing results it can bring. You were a true witness to this! Thank you for everything, Pietro. Have a safe flight: as the mountaineer that you are, today you’ve climbed the most daring peak!
Watch the interview with Pietro Comper by Sara Maria Alvarez
