Fred Anthony Sowick

Fred Anthony Sowick (“Snap”), 92, passed away peacefully at his home in Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge, in Charlottesville, Virginia on February 22, 2017. He was born on October 19, 1924 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Fred was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 54 years, Ellen (“Cookie”). During his high school years, Fred was a two-time All-Middlesex County, New Jersey football player and a one-time All-State selection. He also earned three varsity letters in baseball and basketball. Sowick was inducted in the New Brunswick High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Following graduation, Fred entered the Army Air Corps, serving as a 2nd Lieutenant. After the war, he enrolled at Rutgers University and played in all 36 varsity football games over four years. In 1947, he received honorable mention on the All-East football team. He also received a varsity letter in baseball from Rutgers in 1947. He graduated from Rutgers with a business degree in 1950. After graduation, Fred earned a position with the FBI as a Special Agent focusing on counterespionage and internal security matters in Detroit, New York City, and Washington, DC. While stationed in the New York FBI Field Office, Fred was featured in one of the most highly publicized espionage cases during the early years of the Cold War. He was an integral part of the FBI team that captured the Soviet spy, Rudolf Abel. The events were most recently documented in the movie “Bridge of Spies”. Fred transferred to the FBI’s Washington, DC Field Office in 1960, and lived with his family in Springfield, Virginia. He was active in St. Lawrence Catholic Church; worked as an umpire in the Springfield Little League; and served as a baseball coach in the Springfield Babe Ruth League. During the early 1960’s, Sowick also spent time at the Language Center in Monterey, California becoming proficient in the Romanian and Bulgarian languages. After a 30 year career in the FBI, Fred retired from the Bureau in 1979 and moved with Ellen to Cape Coral, Florida. While in Florida, he and Ellen were active members of St. Andrew Catholic Church and the James E. Hendry Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society of Fort Myers. Fred also played many rounds of golf at the Fort Myers Country Club, and was active in the local chapter of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. Fred was a huge sports fan – always rooting for his beloved St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. As a consequence of all four of his children graduating from the University of Virginia, he also became an avid Wahoo fan. After moving to Charlottesville in 2004, Fred was often seen at many UVA football, basketball and baseball games, cheering on the Cavaliers. He also loved classical music, and often watched sports on TV with the sound turned down and the classical music turned up. But most of all, nothing pleased him more than spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchild, who treasured every moment with their Pop-Pop. Fred is survived by his two daughters, Lisa E. Hogue (Charles) of Ashland, Virginia; Donna T. Sweeney of Charlottesville, Virginia; his two sons, Christopher A. Sowick (Patricia), of McLean, Virginia; and Michael J. Sowick (Vicki), of Glen Allen, Virginia; as well as 9 grandchildren, Margaret, Anna, Peter and his wife Emily, Sean, Erin, Matthew, Kathleen, Abbey, Cory, and 1 great grandchild, Addalyn. Special appreciation and thanks go to the staff at Westminster Canterbury and the Hospice of the Piedmont. A Funeral Mass will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, 2017 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlottesville. Donations may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Metro D.C. Chapter, 6931 Arlington Boulevard, Suite B, Bethesda, MD 20814, or the Virginia Institute of Autism, 943 Glenwood Station Lane, Suite 201, Charlottesville, VA 22901 in Fred Sowick’s memory.