Richard M. Febbi

FEBBI- Sgt. Richard M, of Lakewood, Washington, formerly of Butler, N.J., on July 1st, 2005, in his 25th year. Beloved, son of Jane McCarthy of Butler, N.J., and Matthew Febbi of San Fernando,CA. Loving brother of Dana Hamilton and brother-in-law of Robert Hamilton of Highland Mills, N.Y. Cherished grandson of Margaret McCarthy. Dear nephew of Michael and wife Sue McCarthy of Butler, N.J., Stephen McCarthy of Denville, N.J., Richard McCarthy of Butler, N.J., and Cathy and Craig Cartier of Sparta, N.J. Also survived by cousins Thomas, Holly and Rachel McCarthy. Army Sgt. Richard Matthew Febbi, 25, was killed in a motor vehicle accident on July 1, 2005. Sgt. Febbi dedicated his life to his country. From the time he was a child, he always knew he would be a soldier. It was only natural that, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Following boot camp, he was assigned to the Marine Expeditionary Force, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines and graduated from the prestigious Marine Corps Sniper School. He fought in the war on terrorism in the Philippines and served in Japan, Australia, and Hawaii. Sgt. Febbi served with the Marine Corps for four years. Following a short break in service, Sgt. Febbi once again heard the call of his nation. He joined the U.S. Army to become a Calvary Scout. Sgt. Febbi was first assigned as Scout Section Leader for the 1st Battalion, 72nd Armored Regimen, located at Camp Casey, Korea. Following his deployment to Korea, Sgt. Febbi was assigned to Ft. Lewis, Outlaw Troop, 4th Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment. According to his officers, Sgt. Febbi was a true leader. He exuded professionalism, showing his soldiers what right looked like. He loved his job and his country. His men would have walked through fire for him, and he for them. He was a born leader. Sgt. Febbi was a hero in every sense of the word. While the Army, Marines, and his country will remember Sgt. Febbi as a hero who would do anything for his men, his family will remember him as the light of their lives. He would walk into a room, and immediately everyone was laughing. He was everyone's "best friend". He was truly addicting; you just could not get enough of him. If you said his name and did not smile, you didn't know him. In the short time he was here, Sgt. Febbi taught us so much. He taught us to cry so hard we would laugh, and laugh so hard we would cry. He showed us that once someone found their niche in life, everything else was easy. He taught us to keep patriotism alive. Looking back on his life it is truly amazing what he accomplished. He did more in 25 years than most can do in a lifetime. He made more of an impact on people's lives than most can ever dream. We, as his family, thank God everyday for the short time we had with him. Following Sgt. Febbi's death, his family contemplated what the best way would be to keep his memory alive. While the Army and Marines go above and beyond for their soldiers, it is not possible to take care of every detail. Often times, soldiers cannot afford to fly home to be with their families during the holidays because of the tremendous expense (sometimes in excess of $1500 per plane ticket). Sgt. Febbi's family recalled all of the phone cards they sent to him, plane tickets they bought to fly him home and boxes they sent to him. Recognizing that this, for some, could be a significant financial hardship, the family established the Sgt. Richard Febbi Memorial Fund. The mission of this fund is to provide financial assistance (in the form of plane tickets home, phone cards, boxes, etc.) to active duty Army and Marine personnel. The family has begun working closely with recruiters for both the Army and Marines to identify and assess specific needs for soldiers in the area. Donations can be sent to the Sgt. Richard Febbi Memorial Fund, Lakeland State Bank, Attn.: Dean Arfin, 1410 Route 23 Butler, NJ 07405. Relatives and friends are invited The Morrison Funeral Home, 86 Bartholdi, Ave., Butler, N.J., for visitation on, Sunday, July 10th 7-9PM, and, Monday July llth 2-4pm, and 7-9pm. A Mass a Christian, burial will be celebrated at 10am, on Tuesday, July 12th, 2005 at St. Anthony's RC Church, Butler, N.J. Internment, Mt.Calvary Cemetery, Butler, N.J. In lieu of flowers please make donations Sgt- Richard M. Febbi Memorial Fund c/o Lakeland Bank, Attn: Dean Arfin 1410 Route 23 North, Butler, N.J. 07405.