Fred was born on July 25, 1932, in St. Albans, Vt. He earned his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Vermont where he was inducted into the honorary engineering fraternity, Tau Beta Phi. He was commissioned into the US AIR Force and served in Europe and the Middle East from 1954 to 1956. Upon discharge he joined General Electric Instrument Department in Lynn Massachusetts as a program specialist. Shortly thereafter he met Kay Harrington on a blind date at the Newport Jazz Festival and they were married November 8, 1958.
In 1977, after 23 years with GE, he joined the California Energy Commission as a lighting specialist where he was instrumental in forming the Advanced Lighting Professional Advisory Committee (ALPAC), creating a collaboration between business and government in establishing lighting guidelines for the state. Fred was a Fellow in the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and in 1995 won their Presidential Award for achievement in the field of lighting.
Fred and Kay have three children and five grandchildren who fill their life with joy and often the unexpected. On his 50th birthday Fred’s children gave him windsurfing lessons. He loved the water: fishing, sailing, boating and after retirement, cruising. He skied into his 70’s. He was known as a great story teller.
Fred was active in the First United Methodist Church of Loomis, where he was recognized as a “Living Treasure”. He was a member of the Loomis Lions, the American Legion Post 775, and the St. Andrews Society of Sacramento. At one time he taught Freedom from Smoking Classes for the American Lung Association in Sacramento.
Fred is survived by his wife, Kay, their children: Linda Roberts (Randy), Bill Berryman (Orna), and Susan Armstrong (Joseph); his grandchildren Stephanie Roberts (Dev Patel), Kelianne Heinz (Sam), Kya Berryman, Nathaniel Armstrong (Andrea Echevarria) and Elizabeth Armstrong. He is also mourned by Tom Michael, Elad Michael (Ana) and Noa Michael, and his Japanese exchange student, Hide Yuzaki; He is survived by his sister, Carolyn Reidy of Leicester, MA, and her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, July 20 at 11:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Loomis. Contributions to the 1st United Methodist Church of Loomis at 6414 Brace Road, Loomis, CA 95650 would be welcomed.
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