Obituary of Richard Lee Fedel

The sun will shine a little dimmer on The Villages because Richard Lee Fedel went to be with the Lord on April 7, 2010 after a three year courageous battle with lung cancer. He was born on September 11, 1944 in Grand Junction, Colorado, to parents Frank and Theda "June" Fedel. Richard learned at the tender age of 13, about hard work with his father in the uranium mining industry in Colorado. Almost 18, when he enlisted in the Navy, Richard proudly served his country for four years from 1962 to 1966 and got a chance to see some of the world. He moved to the Salt Lake area, going to work for the railroad where he worked for 20 plus years. During this time, he married and had five beautiful sons. He was passionate about baseball. He passed his love for sports to his sons, by being the best coach and umpire they have ever know. he worked hard and achieved the status of Train Master before retiring in 1988. He then pursued other opportunities that life offered, even trying this hand at being a professional gambler. Another of his "fun" efforts was bartending. On Jun 11, 1999, Richard lee met the green-eyed, red=headed woman he had been praying for, Tracey. That evening he went home and told his sister, "I met the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with." They married on July 28, 2001 in a hot air balloon in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. They moved to the villages in spring of 2002 and enjoyed the amenities. Richard especially enjoyed the golf courses, the town square and the bowling alleys. Tracey's 93 year old father, Pete, moved in with them in the fall of 2002. Being the loving and considerate person Richard was, he faithfully supported his wife caring for her father. Richard received the Employee of the Year for 2004 from Mid State Concrete, where he worked until his retirement in 2006. After retiring, Richard was able to fulfill his dreams and indulge his love for golf. Besides being an avid golfer, he enjoyed bowling, loved gardening, dancing, watching baseball and spending time with his loving wife, family and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, mother, younger brother, Ronald and step son Larry Scharwarth. Survivors include his wife, Tracey; sisters, Cheryl Hurley (Michelle and Sean) and Cathy Stewart (Rusty, Dustin & Kyle); Sons, Ronald, Colby, Alex (Julia), Paul and Frank (Tempra); stepsons, L.J. (Tracy) Scharwarth, Kenneth Scharwarth and George Rapp. He also left behind his stepfather Jo Banahan, 14 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. His beautiful smile, sparkling blue eyes and thoughtful ways will be missed by all who knew him. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in his honor may be made to the American Cancer Society.