Cosmo P. Fridella

Cosmo Peter “Pete” Fridella passed away in Austin on December 21, 2018. He was born May 15, 1933, in New York City to immigrants Francesco “Frank” and Maria Fridella, the fifth of their seven children. Three of his older siblings were born in Italy, and the younger four were born in the US. Pete attended the Bronx High School of Science, graduating in 1950, and the City College of New York, from which he graduated in 1955. He never forgot the city in which he was born and the borough where he grew up, the Bronx.

After graduation he served in the U.S. Army on active duty from 1955 to 1957, and he remained in the Army Reserve where he retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1983. After the Army, he worked for the Federal Government, primarily in the DIA. At work, he met his future wife, Rosemary Phelan, and they married in 1966.

Pete retired in May 1994. He and Rosemary enjoyed traveling, and visited Italy, Spain, and Ireland. He had a love of genealogy and Italian culture. He was a brilliant bridge player; some of his high scores in the Tuesday bridge club in Virginia remain unsurpassed to this day. Pete was a collector at heart. He enjoyed collecting comic books and attending comic book conventions. He also collected coins and loved all things sci-fi, collecting magazines and memorabilia. Pete and Rosemary lived in the DC area until 2012 when they moved to the Conservatory Retirement Community in Austin Texas to be closer to their young grandchildren. In Texas, Pete continued with the bridge playing, but found a new card game to love, poker. Pete also loved cheering on his favorite sports team, the Washington Redskins.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Rosemary, and their children: Kathleen Fridella of New York City; Stephen Fridella and his wife, Marika Whaley, of Boston; and Judy Townsend and her husband, Scott, of Austin; and by his beloved granddaughters, Chloe and Cara Townsend.