Louis P. Alfano, Jr. entered into his eternal reward on Sunday, January 26, 2014. His passing was peaceful as he was surrounded by his loving family at the Philip Hulitar Hospice Center in Providence, RI. He was married to his dedicated and loving wife, Catherine (Boland) Alfano for 65 years. He was 90. Born in Bristol, a son of the late Louis P. and Bianca (Langello) Alfano.

A native of Bristol, his future successes were prefigured during his career at Bristols Colt Memorial High School, where he was president of the Senior Rostrum, sports editor of the Green and White Yearbook, and was named to the 1942 R.I. All-State Interscholastic Schoolboy League. In recognition of these numerous accomplishments, he was inducted into the Bristol Athletic Hall of Fame 43 years later.

In service to his country, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces (AAF) as both an enlisted man in 1943, and a commissioned office, receiving his wings in 1944 as an Aerial Navigator and Bombardier. He served overseas as a member of the 544th Bomb Group, 740th Bomb Squad, 401st Bomb Wing and the 15th Air Force in Italy. In addition, he participated in the Po Valley Campaign, Central Europe and the Eighth Army Surge in Northern Italy and was awarded the ETO Ribbon with a Bronze Star and one additional Battle Star.

In 1962, he was elected State Representative from the 2nd Representative District, Bristol, R.I. He then served one year in the House, where he introduced 35 legislative bills. Most noted and enduring of these were two major House Bills calling for State Purchase of the Colt Farm in Bristol for a State Park and a $2.5 million Bond Issue Request to build a new Junior-Senior High School in Bristol.

From 1963 to 1968, Mr. Alfano served as Heart Sunday Chairman; Town Chairman and Area Chairman for the R.I. Heart Fund; State Unit Chairman of the United Fund; Chairman for the Bristol Gridiron Clubs Dinner Committee; Chairman of the Armistice Day Program; Chairman of the Spanish American War Memorial Committee and Chairman of Community Services for the Bristol Rotary Club. In 1967, he was awarded the Gold Medallion by the American Heart Association for his Outstanding Service on behalf of the R.I. Heart Association.

In 1963, he was appointed Chief of Veterans Affairs and Commandant of the R.I. Veterans Home. He successfully passed the Civil Service Exam for the position in 1967, and as a result; achieved permanent status in 1968. Over the next 27 years, Mr. Alfano achieved many lasting accomplishments which continue today to positively benefit Service Veterans throughout Rhode Island. During his tenure, three major expansions to the Veterans Home were accomplished that added 226 beds to its capacity. In order to accommodate the Homes growing population, he expanded the staff from 68 to 230 positions. Improvements and expansions over the following years helped develop the R.I Veterans Home from its status as merely a rest home, to a full-fledged medical facility providing a complete range of rehabilitative services, making the Home the second largest chronic care facility in the State of Rhode Island.

Lous focus on veterans affairs stretched far past the doors of the R.I. Veterans Home. As Chief of Veterans Affairs, he developed an outreach program for homebound, disabled veterans and played a major role in the establishment the first Veterans Cemetery in the State of R.I.

In both community and veterans organizations, he held numerous offices, including National President of the National Association of State Veterans and Regional President of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs. In addition, he received numerous awards from State and National Veterans Organizations for his dedicated service to Veterans. The most prestigious of these awards were presented to him in 1974 by the Veterans Administration in Washington, D.C.; in 1975 by the National Association of State Veterans Homes in Tacoma, Washington; and in 1984 by the National Association of State Directors of Veteran Affairs in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

One of Mr. Alfanos most exalted and prestigious honors was bestowed upon him in 1980, when Rhode Island Governor J. Joseph Garrahy proclaimed January 30, 1980 as Louis P. Alfano, Jr. Day to commemorate his outstanding service to R.I. Veterans. Also, Congressman Ronald K. Machtley entered Mr. Alfanos name into the Congressional Record of the United States Congress in September of 1990 for his unselfish service to Rhode Islands Veterans. In May of 1990, the Providence Journal paid a special tribute to Mr. Alfano and the R.I. Veterans Home in their editorial section. Fittingly, Mr. Alfano was also the recipient of three Governors Proclamations for his accomplishments and service on behalf of R.I. Veterans.

In November of 1999, Governor Lincoln Almond and the Rhode Island General Assembly honored Mr. Alfano for his 27 years of service to the R.I. Veterans Home by naming the 150-bed South Building of the Home, the Louis P. Alfano, Jr. Building.

In his twilight years, Mr. Alfano continued to altruistically serve veterans through his role as Department Rehabilitation Officer for Italian-American War Veterans, Department of R.I. and on the Governors Advisory Council to Veterans Affairs.

In addition to his wife Catherine (Kit), he is survived by a son, Joseph P. Alfano and his wife Margot; a daughter Colleen Ann Marshall and her husband Manny; three grandchildren, Barbara C. (Alfano) Zackowski, David M. Marshall, and Peter J. Alfano; and four great-grandchildren, David M. Marshall, Jr., Sarah Elizabeth Marshall, Emma Grace Zackowski, and Asa Joseph Valentino Alfano. He was the brother of Julia Bisbano, Frances Scott and the late Josephine Cirillo.

Arrangements are with Smith Funeral & Memorial Services, 8 Schoolhouse Road, Warren where family will receive friends on Friday January 31, 2014 from 4-8pm, Funeral will be Saturday February 1, 2014 at 11:30am in the funeral home, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 1pm in St. Marys Church, 330 Wood St., Bristol. Interment will be at St. Marys Cemetery, Bristol. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Rhode Island Veterans Home.