Fred Smith Gachet, Jr., M.D., 90, died at home in Hickory on March 28, 2023. Born June 1, 1932, in Rochester, NY, he was the son of the late Fred Smith Gachet, Sr., M.D., and Clara R. DeShazo Gachet. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Louise Gachet Chiles; nephew Joe W. Chiles, Jr.; and brothers-in-law Steve R. Crevda and Donald Korecky.
Fred graduated from Lakeland High School in Lakeland, FL, in 1950, where he was president of the senior class. He studied pre-med and was a cheerleader at Duke University, earning his undergraduate degree in just three years in 1953. In 1957, he graduated from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also completed his OB/GYN residency in September 1962. From 1962 to 1964, he served in the U.S. Army, working in OB/GYN at the American Hospital in Berlin, Germany.
After moving to Hickory in 1965, Fred joined The Woman's Clinic, where he practiced until 2006. During Fred’s long medical career, he was affiliated with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American College of Surgeons, Southern Medical Association, American Medical Association, North Carolina OB/GYN Society, North American Gynecological Society, Piedmont OB/GYN Society, and North American Menopause Society. Fred was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. Fred served as the Vice Chief of Staff of Richard Baker Hospital in 1971 and was a dedicated member of the medical staff of Frye Regional Medical Center for more than 41 years. He served as president of the Cancer Society of Catawba County and the Western Piedmont Symphony.
Fred loved traveling, music, and books and firmly believed in the importance of education and the arts. He had a passion for people and an enduring curiosity; his unflagging interest in others, boundless enthusiasm for learning, and seemingly endless supply of quirky anecdotes were hallmarks of his long life.
Left to cherish Fred's memory are his wife of 31 years, Shirley Crevda Gachet, whom he called his bride; children Carl Christian Fred Gachet, Louise Willis Gachet (Thomas LaBelle), and Catherine Chalmers Gachet (Peter Ouellette); stepdaughters Debra Lynn Hedrick and Cheryl Ann Hedrick; grandsons Johnathan Daniel Hedrick and Joshua David Ouellette; former daughter-in-law Janice Hedrick; brother-in-law Joe W. Chiles, Sr.; sisters-in-law Catherine Korecky and Patricia Crevda; numerous nieces and nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews.
Fred’s family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to caregivers Lynn McCurry, Hospice RN; Erica Tipps; Patricia Bush; and Heather Dillon; and Fred’s “favorite babysitter,” niece Cindi Pasquale. In addition, the family wishes to thank Fred’s many patients over the years for allowing him to play a small part in their lives. Fred truly cared about his patients’ health and well-being, and he considered it a privilege to share their joys and sorrows.
A memorial service with military honors will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 29, 2023, at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension, in Hickory, NC, with Rev. Karla Woggon officiating. Burial will be in the Dell Memorial Garden at the church. Honorary pallbearers will be those who worked with Fred at The Woman’s Clinic.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a charity of choice.
Condolences may be sent to the Gachet family at www.drumfh-hickory.com.
Drum Funeral Home in Hickory is honored to be serving the Gachet family.
