Obituary
Frederick “Fred” George Ferguson, 87,
beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle passed away peacefully
at the The Village at Penn State in State College, PA on Thursday, August 8,
2024.
He is survived by his
loving wife of 65 years, Joan Ellen “Joelle” Ferguson;
his children, Erin (Bob) Crow of Alexandria, VA; Steve (Bev) Ferguson of Carson
City, NV; and Paula (Will) Walker of Saline, MI. Fred was preceded in death by
his son, Scott Ferguson; daughter, Christine Thomson; and son-in-law, John
Thomson.
Fred also leaves behind
grandchildren, Laura (Derrick), Michael, Amanda, Megan, Emma, Gretchen, and
Cameron; and great-grandchildren, Nolan, Lucy, and Carson. Fred was brother to
four siblings. He is survived by his brother Robert of Green Bay, WI; and many
nieces and nephews. Fred’s sisters, Pat,
Joyce and Lois, preceded him in death.
Born on December 30, 1936,
in Green Bay, WI, Fred was the son of the late Harold and Lydia Ferguson. He
grew up in a loving family; Lydia was a homemaker and Harold was a master
carpenter and ship builder. Fred graduated from Green Bay East High School in
1955.
After high school Fred
attended the University of Wisconsin graduating in 1959 with a B.S. degree in
Biology. It was at a 1957 University of Wisconsin football game that Fred met
his future wife, Joelle Remington. On August 22,1959, they were married in Wisconsin
Dells, WI.
Fred and Joelle began their
married life together with a move to Stillwater, OK, where Fred was accepted to
veterinary school at Oklahoma State University. Joelle worked as a registered
nurse, while Fred attended classes and worked various veterinary-related jobs.
It was during this time they started their family.
In 1963, Fred received his
DVM and began work at a veterinary practice. Soon after Fred pursued additional
education and career opportunities in the field of veterinary medicine. In
1965, Fred earned a Masters of Public Health from Tulane University in New
Orleans. He then accepted a veterinary position at the ASPCA of New York City,
and later earned his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in
Immunopathology.
In 1970, Fred was offered a
position at Penn State University as Professor of Veterinary Science. Fred and
Joelle settled in Park Forest Village, and made State College their permanent
home. Along with teaching and research, Fred served as Director of the Animal
Resource Program, playing a significant role in its expansion. He also served
as Director of the Centralized Biological Laboratory. Fred retired from Penn
State in 2002, and continued work in various consulting positions.
Fred loved his family
dearly, and showed it in many ways. As his grown children moved around the
country, holidays were invariably a time for everyone to gather. Fred and
Joelle loved hosting large family get togethers, and family trips to the Outer
Banks and Long Beach Island. Over the years Fred and Joelle took great joy in
visiting their children at their homes, and watching their grandchildren grow
into amazing young adults.
Fred and family remained
close to his Green Bay family and friends with annual summer trips “home” to Wisconsin. In later years, annual fall
vacations with Fred's siblings and their spouses were greatly treasured.
Fred was a life long fan of
the Green Bay Packers, Pirates baseball, and all Penn State sports. His hobbies
included woodworking, gardening, reading, and playing cribbage. His love of
travel ran deep, and included extensive travel around the U.S. and Europe. Over
the years Fred volunteered at Meals on Wheels, Centre Volunteers in Medicine,
Lions Club, and St. Paul Lutheran Church.
We miss you so much
Fred/Dad/Grandpa/Pappy. Your love for family and friends; along with your sense
of humor and hearty laugh will remain in our hearts forever.
The family would like to
thank the Wellness and Atrium staff at The Village, along with UPMC Hospice for
their care and assistance.
A celebration of life will
be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 277 W. Pine Grove Rd, Pine Grove Mills,
PA. The visitation will be Friday, August 30, 2024 at 1:00 p.m., followed by a
church service and refreshments at 2:00 p.m. The service will be live streamed,
please contact family for the link. Committal will be family only at Boalsburg
Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please
consider a donation to Doctors Without Borders, or to a charity of your choice.