Salvatore Arazio Fede

COLUMBIA Lt. Colonel Salvatore Arazio Fede, U.S. Army (Ret.), 86, passed away surrounded by his family on Thursday, January 1, 2015. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 6, 2015, at St. John Neumann Catholic Church. The family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2015, at Dunbar Funeral Home Northeast Chapel. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Born in New Haven, Conn., he was the son of the late George and Carmel Modica Fede. Sal graduated in 1949 from New York University and earned his master’s degree and education specialist degree from the University of South Carolina. Lt. Col. Fede was a highly decorated officer who served his country with distinction for 20 years in the United States Army, serving in Japan, Korea, Germany, Vietnam, the Pentagon and numerous stateside military installations. He was the editor-in-chief of the Pacific Stars and Stripes newspaper during the Vietnam War. After retiring from the military, he began a second career in education and served in several administrative positions for the Darlington County School District, as superintendent of the Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School in West Columbia and as the first director of the Georgetown Career Center. Sal, or “Pops” as he was affectionately called by his family, friends and students, had a great passion for music, bridge, gardening, cooking and fishing. However, his greatest love was for his family. He was predeceased by his wife of 63 years, Cathleen M. Fede. Surviving are a son, John Fede of Clarkesville, Ga.; three daughters, Barbara Masenior (Mike) of Baltimore, Md., Cathleen Asko (Jack) of Fairfax, Va., and Mary Brantner of Columbia; nine grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his memory to the American Cancer Society, 128 Stonemark Lane, Columbia, SC 29210.