Albert Friedrich Robert Faden

Albert Friedrich Robert Faden, 88, ended his exceptional earthly life on Saturday, June 22, at Hilltop Memory Care in Greenville, South Carolina.

Albert is survived by his devoted wife, Dean Harris-Faden; his children, Doris of Munich Germany, Manfred (Marion) of Hamburg, Germany, Roland (Sabine) of Ungerhausen, Germany; grandchildren Simon Faden and Laura Faden, of Ungerhausen, Germany; sister-in-law Susan Darlington Harris of McClellanville, South Carolina; nephews Ramsay Gaillard Harris of Huger, South Carolina and Parke Haskell Harris (Anne) of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina; great-niece Grace Louise Harris and great-nephew Samuel Haskell Harris of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

Born in Karlsruhe, Germany to the late Robert Bernhard and Charlotte Marie Faden, Albert's young life was shaped by the violence of WWII and the hardships of survival in postwar Germany, which instilled in him a lifelong desire to work for peace. He served as an officer in the German Air Force and NATO for 33 years before retiring in 1988. His retirement was short lived as he was called back into service by the German Ministry of Defense in 1990, after German reunification to assist in peacefully assimilating the East German armed forces and facilities into the West German armed forces. Once this complicated and dangerous assignment was complete, Albert remained in the former East Germany for two more years, working to establish a Western style social infrastructure in a country that had only known repression and Communism.

Albert married Dean, a South Carolinian and Department of Defense Schools teacher, in 1990. He quickly fell in love with South Carolina, declaring it "the most beautiful place on earth." He and Dean moved to Greenwood, South Carolina, in 1994 and after working at Bosch and BMW teaching their executives to speak German, Albert started Alfa Tours and Travel, a small group travel company that he operated until 2018. He shared his love of European culture and history with so many, serving as both an educator and ambassador of goodwill for all those who were fortunate enough to travel with him. Albert was a faithful communicant of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, a member of the Greenwood Rotary Club, and a volunteer at the Greenwood Soup Kitchen for over 20 years.

Albert will be remembered for his adventurous spirit, his German stubbornness, the countless delicious German meals he made and shared, his enthusiasm for everything and everybody, his love for his dogs, nature, the beach, and his Deanie.

A funeral service will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection on Saturday, August 3 at 10 a.m.

The family respectfully requests that memorial contributions be made to the Humane Society of Greenwood, 2820 Airport Road, Greenwood, South Carolina 29649.