Richard T. Frederics

Richard Thomas Frederics of Norwood, Massachusetts, beloved son, husband, Dad, and “Go/Bapu,” died peacefully in his sleep with his family by his side on Tuesday, August 24, 2022. He is dearly missed by his heartbroken family who were with him every step of his journey: his cherished wife of 51 years, lifelong partner, soulmate, and best friend, Sarah Margaret Tolley Frederics; his daughters Margaret Augusta Frederics DeLuca of Hanover and Reba Alice Frederics of Westminster; his sons-in-law Michael DeLuca and Jason Runcie; his grandchildren, Gabriella, Michael, and Naomi, and his father, Walter of Kennesaw, Georgia.

Rick had two professional careers and excelled at both of them: first as an accountant and auditor from 1971 to 1996, where he worked many long hours at Coopers & Lybrand, Multibank, and Bank of Boston; and then his true passion for teaching was discovered when he became a professor of accounting at Lasell College in Newton from 1996 to 2015, where he was also Chair of the accounting department for 15 years. Rick's innovative, fun teaching methods brought his subject matter to life, and his former students may still remember playing Monopoly in his classes, or hearing him announce the college's basketball games. Rick never wanted to retire from teaching, but was forced to when he was first diagnosed with cancer in 2014. He was victorious after chemo and a stem cell transplant in 2015, and was in remission for seven years until the cancer returned in the spring of 2022. Rick loved to travel and made sure his family took several vacations a year. He loved visiting Nantucket, New York and Pennsylvania; when his children were growing up, he especially enjoyed learning about the American Civil War by visiting many battlefields, and going camping in Baxter State Park.

During his retirement, he enjoyed reading, particularly the Harry Potter series and anything relating to Europe during World War II. He loved taking long walks with his family, where they would talk about anything and everything, especially at Bird Park in Walpole, where Rick and his dog Toby would watch for the buses that Toby liked to bark at. Rick was an avid Lego builder who would spend hours meticulously crafting while listening to various genres of music, and then would proudly send pictures of his creations to his family. Rick's family loved to gather at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury to celebrate birthdays and holidays, and Rick and Sarah always hosted annual summer cookouts at their home in Norwood with many happy memories of parades, fireworks, and good times together.

Rick found comfort and intellectual stimulation in studying the Bible and practicing Judaism, and was a member of Ahavath Torah Congregation (ATC) Synagogue in Stoughton.

His private funeral service was held on August 25th, and he is buried at Sharon Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, ATC Synagogue, or the MSPCA.

“The journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take.” -Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings