Fred Graduated with honors from Rio Grande High School and was a member of the National Honor Society. He also excelled in playing the trumpet. After High School he decided to teach high school band for a little while. He did enlist in the U.S. Army but was honorably discharged due to poor hearing from being sick as a child. He attended Pan American College in Edinburg, Texas and received a 2 year degree in business. Fred also became a licensed pilot so he could move cargo for certain companies around Texas.
On May 12th, 1961 Fred married the love of his life Gladys Marie Hathcoat. A year later they moved to Santa Ana, California for career opportunities. Fred attended Santa Ana College and received his Surface Water treatment Plant License, where he then went to work for the city of Garden Grove California as a senior supervisor.
In 1968 Fred and Gladys moved back to Texas and settled in Houston where he would receive his Texas Water & Wastewater Operators license and Management license from Texas A&M University Engineering Extension Service. In his 60 plus years of Civil Engineering he worked for the city of Houston which he was employed with Durwood Greene Construction CO., Bernard Johnson Inc. He worked for the city of Baytown as a senior foreman. He worked for the City of Mathis, Texas as a Director of Public Works. He was the manager and operator of district utilities for the neighborhood he lived in, Mayfair Park. His last employment until this year was with Clay & Leyendecker Inc. as a consulting engineer and surveyor.
In his 86 years, Fred has encountered and touched many lives. he enjoyed his line of work either by sharing his knowledge with others coming into engineering or by showing them how to apply themselves to the field of engineering. Fred was a well respected man by all his fellow employers and employees. Fred enjoyed life and was a good father and husband. He was a God fearing man and made that first in his life. He enjoyed going to church with his family. Fred enjoyed fishing and did a little hunting when he was a boy. He loved playing his trumpet for the church and at fun events. He was well known in his neighborhood of Mayfair Park as Mr. Fred by all the kids and he would even take them along on some of the vacations with his kids.
Fred had an unyielding desire to live life to its absolute fullest but still be humble. He never complained about anything. If someone asked him how he was doing he would always tell you he was alright and that you did not have to worry about him. He never thought about retiring. If someone brought it up he would tell them he loved his job and he would stop working when the good Lord told him to. he worked until his passing.
Fred was truly a blessing to us all. he will be missed and loved forever.
