BLUE to GOLD ~ With Great Sadness ~ ARMY Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari, 39, of Baldwin, N.Y., died Dec 14 in Logar province, Afghanistan.
An Army sergeant from Long Island whom relatives remember as a talented, outgoing patriot died on duty in Afghanistan, officials said Monday.
Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Lipari of Baldwin was serving in Logar Province as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The cause of death is under investigation.
“People liked being around Kevin, he was so personable,” Lipari’s aunt, Marie Lovenheim, said of the soldier who studied communications at SUNY-Oswego.
Lovenheim said her 39-year-old nephew was a charismatic showman and natural entertainer. She said Lipari’s dad, Chuck, was a regular on cruise ships, and Kevin occasionally tagged along.
“The two of them would get on stage and sing and have a great time,” she said. “They loved to spread cheer.”
Lipari, who attended Oceanside High School, excelled at baseball and hockey. His success carried over into the Army, where he was quickly promoted to paratrooper. A parachuting accident left him with broken vertebrae. He eventually became a satellite communications specialist.
“He liked the camaraderie,” said Lovenheim, 57. “He saw it as an opportunity to learn more skills.”
Lipari was found dead on Dec. 14.
The married soldier was assigned to HHC 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team out of Bamberg, Germany.
Lovenheim said that upon Lipari's return from his current tour in Afghanistan he was looking forward to moving onto his next duty station where he planned to start a family with his wife.
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