By:Nicole Falco
Wilbur C. Fare, a Valley Stream native, died Nov. 3 in Tarboro, North Carolina. He was 85. It was only during the last year that Fare's health started to decline. He had been living in an assisted-living community when he died.
Fare was born in Valley Stream on March 19, 1919. He had fond memories of his youth, including buying groceries in a horse-drawn wagon, assembling junk Model A Ford and aircraft parts into a vehicle and working at Jones Beach. Growing up he had an insatiable curiosity about how things worked. He was never satisfied just playing with toys. He'd take them a part to learn how they worked.
After graduating from Central High School in 1938, Fare put his innate curiosity to good use. He worked as a quality control engineer for Grumman Aerospace for 37 years. He was particularly proud of his work on the lunar module projects for all of NASA's Apollo missions, according to his family.
While working, he was called to serve in the Army Air Corps for two years during World War II. He was a sergeant. During his tour he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan as a radio radar mechanic.
In April 1944, Fare married Elsie Klein, "the love of his life." He and Elsie were the first couple married in Valley Stream's Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Brooklyn Avenue. While the couple was busy raising six sons, Fare still took time to devote to his community. He was active in the Valley Stream Historical Society and the Holy Trinity Church. Later, when he and Elsie moved to North Carolina, Fare became active in New Bern's Christ Episcopal Church.
Fare was also known for his hand-crafted wood "masterpieces," including a grandfather clock and a China hutch. His grandchildren could always look forward to Christmases with "hand crafted wooden treasures," including toy trains, doll houses, cradles and merry-go rounds.
Fare was preceded in death by a son, Charles. Besides his wife, Elsie, Fare is survived by five sons - John and his wife, Jacqueline, Thomas and his wife, Kathleen, Warren and his wife, Theresa, Douglas and his wife, Catherine, and Edwin, trustee of the Village of Valley Stream, and his wife, Ronni. He is also survived by 15 grand children and two great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Organ Restoration Fund, 123 Brooklyn Avenue, Valley Stream, NY 11581. The church's organ, donated by Fare's father, William, more than 70 years ago when Holy Trinity was a mission parish of Trinity & St. John's in Hewlett, has fallen into disrepair. The church is trying to raise money to restore the 1933 Moeller Organ.
