INDIAN LAND, SC ~ Mr. Fred Michael Rom, age 105, returned to his Lord, passing peacefully at home in Indian Land, SC on March 16, 2019.

Fred was born April 3, 1913 in Manhattan to his late parents Ferdinand and Julia (Rosman) Rom, who had recently emigrated from Austria.  He was predeceased by his beloved wife and love of his life, Agnes O'Brien Rom and his only sibling Pauline Traynor.  He is survived by his children, Maryann Korn (husband, Raymond) of Indian Land, SC and Frederick Rom (wife, Mary Beth) of Cary, NC; his four grandchildren, Brian Korn (wife, Sarah) of Summit, NJ, Sheila Rom (husband, Richard Murphy), Colin Rom and Kerry Elizabeth Rom all of Washington, DC; his four great grandchildren, Caden Korn, Bodie Korn, Asher Korn, and Bellamy Korn all of Summit, NJ; his cousin, Alfred Schutte and his children Kristin Schutte and David Schutte of Long Island, NY.

Fred led a fully engaged, active and selfless life.  He was a devoted son, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, Catholic and helpful neighbor.  His life was significantly impacted by his life-threatening battle with pneumonia for 2 years, while in his 20's.  Following recovery, he focused on religious and charitable activities for the remainder of his life as he moved to Floral Park LI, NY, Bricktown, NJ and ultimately Indian Land for the last 8 years of his life.  He was an active member of various charitable organizations, including the Third Order of St. Francis, Knights of Columbus, and St. Vincent de Paul Society.  He served multiple leadership positions with these organizations receiving numerous awards and recognitions.  He also served as a Eucharistic Minister for decades, and regularly volunteered time to visit the sick and infirm at local hospitals and nursing homes.

Fred started working full time at NY Life Insurance Company in Manhattan in 1928 when he was only 15 years old, at the request of his father to help support the family.  He rose through the ranks from a mail room clerk to Vice-President of the Comptroller's Department.  He managed the company's transition from manual to computerized record keeping, prior to retiring in 1976.

He proudly served his country for almost 4 years, in the US Army during World War II, becoming a Master Sergeant directing the communications center, during various campaigns in the South Pacific.  He received the Bronze Star for outstanding service during the invasion of Luzon, Philippines.

Despite his accomplishments, he remained a humble man who avoided the spotlight, preferring to work "behind the scenes".  He reluctantly agreed (recently) to become the subject of various media stories because of his advanced age and remarkable lucidity.  He preferred to talk about his beloved family, the accomplishments of others, or the NY Yankees (although he was spoiled by having seen Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and other famous Yankees play).  He believed in standing up for what he believed in but doing so in a manner that respected the thoughts and feelings of others.  He was known by those who knew him as a "great guy".

A viewing will be conducted at Burgess Funeral Home, Lancaster, SC from 9:30 – 10:30 am, Thursday, March 21, 2019, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Grace Church in Lancaster, SC at 12:00 pm.

The family extends sincere thanks to various close friends and health care providers including Barbara Laffan, Kate Marshall, Melissa Chavis of Blue Dot and Kindred Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude's Children Hospital, Disabled American Veterans or Franciscan Mission Service.

An online guest register is available on the obituaries page at www.burgessfunerals.com .

Burgess Funeral Home and Crematory, 1800 Charlotte Highway, Lancaster is caring for the family of Mr. Rom.