Omero Sabatini

Omero Sabatini — diplomat, author, husband and father — died peacefully at home in Alexandria, Virginia, on March 5, 2024. He was 92. Born in Indiana in 1931, Omero lived in ltaly from age 3 until 1954, when he returned to the United States. A graduate of the University of Rome and the University of Chicago, he received his Foreign Service commission in 1981 and served with the Foreign Agricultural Service in Brussels, Lisbon and Algiers, as well as in Washington. He served previously as an economist with the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture and an international economist in the Africa Division of the Department of Commerce. While in government, he traveled on official assignments to most Western European countries, Canada and a number of Asian nations and occasionally served as an Italian language interpreter at the highest levels of government. He published numerous booklets and articles on international trade and the agricultural economy of foreign countries.

Following his retirement in 1994, Omero devoted much of his time to promoting and celebrating Italian culture and language. Besides writing many human-interest articles in both English and ltalian, he published “Promise of Fidelity,” a new translation and adaptation of Alessandro Manzoni’s novel “I Promessi Sposi,” in 2002 to critical acclaim in the U.S. and abroad. He also served as president of the Italian Heritage Lodge of the Sons of Italy, president of the Abruzzo and Molise Heritage Society, treasurer of the Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C., and a member of the parish council of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Washington. Omero is survived by his wife, Belinda Ekiko, stepson Tanyi-Tong Terrell, sons Beppe and Sean Sabatini, daughter Maria Sabatini and many other relatives in the U.S. and Italy.

A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12, at Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home, 1500 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria, with a viewing at 9:30 a.m. and funeral Mass at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, at Holy Rosary, 595 3rd St. NW, Washington. A memorial luncheon and burial at Rock Creek Cemetery will follow.

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