Fredric Alan Powell

Fredric Alan Powell, 87, passed to eternal life on September 14th, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Born October 31, 1935 in Lansing Michigan, he was the son of Lester and Marie (Filkins) Powell. He married Katherine Lee Dolph on December 22, 1956. A graduate of Williamston (MI) High School in 1953, he attended Michigan State University, earning his BA degree in Journalism (1957), MA degree in Communication (1960) and PhD degree in Communication (1963). His university teaching career included positions at Michigan State University (1962-1963), Boston University (1963-1965), The University of Michigan (1968-1971), and the New York State University College of Brockport (1971-2002). He initiated and developed the journalism, radio and TV program, and at different times served as chair of the Communication Department and Theater Department at the latter University. He held a position of Study Director in the Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan (1965-1971). Commissioned a second Lieutenant (Armor) in the US Army in June 1957, he entered active duty in November of that year, was released from active duty and transferred to the Army Reserve in November 1959, retired with the rank of Colonel from the Army Reserve, and transferred to the Retired Reserve in 1989. He was a graduate of the US Army Armor School Basic Officer Course, Infantry School Officers Advanced Course, Artillery School Fire Direction Center Course, Command and General Staff College (Honor Graduate), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration Emergency Management Course. His cosmopolitan interests and avocations embraced a love of and participation in church, community chorus, and ensemble singing. As an adult, he found a passion for theater and was active at the community level in musical theater and dramatic productions. He liked to be with family, spend time at Torch Lake in Michigan, and read US history, military history, and contemporary biographies. A lifelong Presbyterian, he was a deacon and elder in churches in Newton (MA), Brockport (NY), and most recently Noblesville (IN). Predeceased by his parents and loving wife, Fredric is survived by his son Jeffrey (Mary) Powell, daughter Jennifer (Jeffery) Quick, brother Charles (Marjorie) Powell, sister Janet (Kevin) Fowler, and grandchildren Stephanie (Lorenzo) Luzi, Olivia Powell, and Rebecca Powell.