Frederick Linton Cone Jr.

Freddy was born in 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia to the late Fred and Evelyn Cone. At a young age, Freddy was an active member of the Calvary Methodist Church. He enjoyed being a boy scout for many years and received the honor of becoming an Eagle Scout. He later attended Brown High School in Atlanta and also played on the tennis team. It is here where he met his high school sweetheart, the homecoming queen, class of 1955, Miss Helene Louise Duke.

Upon graduation, Freddy attended The Georgia Institute of Technology where he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. Upon graduation from Georgia Tech in 1960, Fred attended the Naval Officer Candidate School where he graduated and became an officer in the United States Navy. Fred was assigned to the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) super aircraft carrier, and he served as a Lieutenant in the Combat Information Center for four years. He sailed the Mediterranean during the peaceful time of Détente and in 1962, he returned to Atlanta to marry Helene. After a brief honeymoon on Jekyll Island, Fred returned to his duties overseas and Helene joined him and traveled with a group of Naval officer wives. They were able to continue their honeymoon all over Europe by meeting each other in the ports of Cyprus, Sicily, Cannes France, Naples, Barcelona, and Rhodes Greece among many others. They endured the dangerous confrontation and military standoff of the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of 1962, in an otherwise peaceful Cold War deployment.

After returning to Atlanta, Fred would become a Naval Reserve Officer and served another four years. Fred joined Lockheed Martin Aeronautics where he worked for over thirty years. He worked on many aeronautical projects as an engineering analyst. Fred was selected to enter the secretive Lockheed Skunk Works program that developed stealth technology and highly classified research programs for our nation’s top military aircraft. Fred most enjoyed spending time with his family, their Sunday School class at Eastside Church and his beloved Lake Blue Ridge. He was always very strong in his faith and a committed follower of Christ. The family became a part of Eastside Church and Fred served as a Deacon.

Fred is survived by his wife of sixty-three years, Helene Duke Cone; son, Stephen Alan Cone; daughter, Catherine Cone Davidson and grandchildren, Diana Davidson Hartsock (Langdon) and Douglas Craig Davidson, Jr.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Fred Cone's name to the Senior Adult Ministry at www.eastside.churchcenter.com/giving

The family will receive guests in the Gathering Room between 1:00pm and 1:30pm on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at Eastside Church, 2450 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta, Georgia. A funeral service will be held at 1:30pm in the chapel.

A private burial for the Cone family will take place at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia with Naval military honors.