Stephen Edward Zamparelli

On Friday, December 30, 2016 Steve left on his final adventure. He is survived by his husband of 41 years, Chris Yetter, and by his siblings, Alfred Zamparelli (Polly) of Spring Hill, FL; Dolores Zamparelli Benoit of Louisville, KY; Michael Zamparelli (Robyn) of Somerset, KY and Largo, FL; and Brian Zamparelli (Edna) of Mooresville, NC; and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces & great-nephews. Anyone familiar with Steve knows growing up was not typical or easy and that Steve took it upon himself to make things as normal as possible for his siblings.  Many actions only coming to light many years later.  When asked how he turned out so normal, his answer was always “Good examples & bad examples – just learn to recognize the difference.”  Well, Steve had help in learning the difference and some of his key good examples were Walter & Virginia Karbe of Huntington, NY, and Jack & Lillian Robinson and their 5 children of Corinth, NY.  These families saw the need and treated Steve as one of their children, providing examples of loving, functional, generous families.  And Allen Grosser, formerly of Freeport, NY, a true friend who could be relied on in time of crisis, and the person who gave Steve his lifelong passion for travel. Steve’s sharp wit and ready laugh served him well both personally and professionally.  Steve’s career spanned the gambit from ski instructor, to construction laborer, to store clerk, to gas station attendant (where he met Chris), to loan officer, to house flipper before HGTV, to antiques, to B&B operator, to real estate appraiser, and finally to SAS for the last 20 years.  While his work at SAS took him from Montreal to San Diego and from Miami Beach to Seattle, it was the passion he shared with Chris for international travel and adventure that took them from the otherworldly valleys of Iceland to the savannah of the Serengeti, from the pyramids of Giza to those of Central America. Chris and Steve settled in Raleigh in 1981 at the urging of friends Ben Floyd and Phillip McNeill who introduced them to Historic Oakwood. Together with Oakwood and the accepting community found at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal, they knew they’d found their permanent home.  Steve felt a strong connection to the church’s message of God’s love for all people.  Steve always tried his best to find that bit of God’s reflection in everyone he met, knowing that it was there regardless of how buried, hidden or disguised it might be. Following a funeral and committal service at Church of the Good Shepherd, Episcopal at 11:00 AM on January 7, 2017, the family will receive friends on the third floor of the Parish Life Center. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 121 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27603.