Guy Raymond Sodano

August 6, 1938 - May 22, 2020

Lt. Col. (USA Retired) Guy R. Sodano, 81, of Holly Springs, died peacefully in his home after a long battle with prostate cancer. Lt. Col. Sodano, a native a Newark, NJ, was commissioned a Lieutenant of Infantry in 1959 upon graduation from Seton Hall University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Communications Arts. While attending Seton Hall he worked nights as a full-time reporter for the Newark Star Ledger from his sophomore year to the beginning of his military service in May of 1960 covering several major stories including the Bayonne train wreck of 1958. Lt Col. Sodano served in Europe during the Cold War and in Vietnam for two years. His decorations include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, two bronze stars, four Meritorious Service Medals and the Army Commendation Medal. He was an honor graduate from the Infantry Officer’s Career Course, the Vietnamese Language School, Computer Operations Course and the Command and General Staff School (Correspondence). He also attended Special Warfare School and the Armed Forces Staff College. He retired with 22 years of military service in 1982 following four years as an advisor to the North Carolina Army National Guard. His assignments included almost three years as commander of a training company at Fort Dix, a mechanized infantry company and a division headquarters company in Europe. In Vietnam he served as an advisor to the Motivation Indoctrination Program of the Vietnamese Popular Forces/Regional Forces in I Corps and as commander of the 5th and 11th Public Information Detachments. Assigned to Computer Systems Command Support Group Pacific, he was responsible for installing and training local personnel on third generation computer systems in Okinawa, Korea, Japan and Vietnam. He also was responsible for installing the Army Special Ammunition System in Germany. He was the Director of Administration of the North Carolina Bar Association for the next 25 years, retiring in 2007. During his tenure he was the primary manager in upgrading their computer, administrative and financial reporting systems. Lt Col. Sodano was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004, undergoing a prostatectomy, followed by drug and radium treatments. In 2017, he began treatment for advanced prostate cancer which continued until his death. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Shirley, his son, Guy of Holly Springs, his daughter, Laurie Bartolo, of Michigan; two grandchildren, Dominic and Anthony Sodano; and a brother, Ralph, a niece, Margaret and great-nephew, Christopher of Toms River, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA.org).