Frederick B. Sheats Jr.

Frederick B. Sheats, Jr., the only son of Rosa McGee Sheats and Frederick B. Sheats of Atlanta, deceased, passed away at home on Friday, March 27, 2015, of natural causes. Fred was born on August 30, 1924, and grew up in the neighborhood surrounding Piedmont Park. It was in this neighborhood that he met his wife of 65 years, the former Marylin Margeson. Their houses backed up to each other and they would signal one another with the blinking of lights from each other’s homes when they were teenagers. Fred was the first boy Marylin kissed at the age of 14, as he was a much older boyfriend of 17. Fred attended Boys High and enjoyed that affiliation throughout his life. In 1942, at the age of 17, he entered Emory University where he was a proud member of The Kappa Alpha Order. A member of the Greatest Generation, he joined the Navy at 18, serving for three years some of which was spent on the Ticonderoga Carrier where he was a tail gunner on a dive bomber in the Pacific. After three years serving our country, he resumed his studies, briefly as a student at Auburn University and culminating in graduation at the University of Georgia in 1948 with a BBA degree. He went to work for J.M. Tull Company and married his sweetheart, Marylin, on February 18,1950, in Atlanta at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Fred passed his CPA exam in 1956 after much praying by the Sisters of the Holy Cross! He attended Woodrow Wilson Law School graduating in 1958, magna cum laude, while working full time and being the father to four rambunctious children. It was about this time that Fred started his own practice and around 1960 partnered with Olin Smith to become Sheats and Smith Accounting Firm. Upon Mr. Smith's untimely passing, the Firm became known as Sheats and Company. After three retirement parties, Fred finally hung up his shingle at the tender age of 83 ending his long career at Brooks McGinnis Accounting Firm. As the father of six children, he supported all endeavors always being the most vocal support in the crowd, whether at football games, swim meets, golf tournaments or baseball games. He enjoyed coaching Pop Warner Football at Bagley Park in the Sixties as well as serving on the Board of NYO for many years under the tutelage of Bob Blackwell. He was a rabid University of Georgia supporter with membership in The Bulldog Club and the President's Club. He was a longtime member of Cherokee Town and Country Club winning several club tournaments and passing on the love of the game to his sons. Fred was a member of and participant in the Judicial Invitational Golf Tournament for many years, claiming the winner’s title and runner up several times. Although his sons were good golfers, Fred bested them all with four holes in one in his lifetime. He was serving as the Treasurer of the Boys High Alumni at the time of his death. Fred is survived by his wife of 65 years, Marylin Margeson Sheats, and his six children Linda and Charles S. Bradford and her sons, Jeff and Stacey Williams, and children Jordan and Kort, Jennifer and Travis Williams, their children, Emily, Bennett and Maya, Charles's sons, Dr. Shannon Bradford, Maggie and Chris Bradford and Sandy and James Bradford, Ginger and Lucien Kimball, their sons Bo and Andrew, his fiancé, Amanda Ash, Lauren and Fred Sheats, their children, Allison and her fiancé, Beau Allen, Mary Catherine, Matthew and Elizabeth, Heather and David Sheats, their daughters, Alexandra and Savannah, Georgia and Bill Sheats, their daughter, Molly, and Robert Sheats. Fred is also survived by a multitude of nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held on Monday, March 30, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at H. M. Patterson and Son – Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road, Sandy Springs, Ga., 30328. A Celebration Service will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 4465 Northside Drive N.W., Atlanta, Ga., 30327, on Tuesday, March 31, at 2:30 p.m., with Monsignor Edward J. Dillon as celebrant. A reception will follow immediately afterwards at the Church. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Special Olympics Georgia, c/o Georgia Sheats, 4000 Dekalb Technology Parkway, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA, 30340.