Quogue Native Edward Douglas Warner, Grocery Store Owner, Dies

Edward Douglas Warner, who owned Fedi's Market on Shelter Island for four decades and bought his first grocery store in Quogue in 1960, died on Dec. 29 at Southampton Hospital. He was 82 years old.

Known as Doug to his family and friends, Warner was born on June 20, 1931. He was the son of Edward J. Warner, a commercial fisherman, and Elizabeth (née Hallock) Warner. He grew up in Quogue, helping his father eeling in Shinnecock Bay.

He graduated from Westhampton High School and Stroudsburg College in Pennsylvania, before he was drafted to the Korean War. He served in Korea for two years as a medical attendant in the U.S. Army.

When he returned from war, he went back to a summer job, working at Bohack's supermarket, later becoming a manger and setting up many of their markets on Long Island.

Warner bought a grocery store, Pat and Howard’s Market in Quogue, in 1960. Five years later, he bought Fedi's Market, which was on North Main Street in East Hampton. After selling the Quogue market in 1969, he opened Fedi's on Shelter Island — which stayed open every day until it closed in March 2013.

His daughters Jan Warner, of East Hampton, and Sue Warner, of Sag Harbor, worked with him at Fedi's for decades.

Doug Warner also owned the former Jan-Su Stables in East Hampton— now East End Stables — from 1973 to 1979. It was one of the largest on the East End, his family said, with 56 stalls and a 200-foot by 96-foot indoor arena. Jan-Su Stables also hosted many horse shows. He was also one the founding committee members of The Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton.

Warner sold the Fedi's location in East Hampton in the early 1980s, and then the stables.

However, Warner, who lived on Shelter Island, remained a steadfast member of the Shelter Island community. He was a loyal supporter of the Shelter Island Fire Department, opening after-hours when firefighters were called out. Even when his Parkinson's disease prevented him from doing so, he made an arrangement with the Ladies Auxiliary so they could get into the store. He also donated the Fedi’s food raffle to the fire department’s annual Country Fair.

In addition to his daughters, Warner is survived by his longtime companion, Dorothy Kosowski, of Shelter Island.

Visiting hours were held on at the Shelter Island Funeral Home where services were conducted by the Shelter Island Fire Department, Shelter Island American Legion and Father Peter DeSanctis.

Memorial donations to the Shelter Island Fire Department or East End Hospice would be appreciated.

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