Fred Kalmbach

Jun 2, 2016 | Obituaries, Obituaries 2016 | 0 comments

Fred Kalmbach passed away May 31, 2016. He was born July 2, 1926 to Frederick and Pauline Kalmbach. Frederick and Pauline came to the United States from Germany after World War I thru Canada settling in Bethlehem, PA. After high school, Fred enlisted in the United States Navy and served in the Pacific during the final stages of World War II. After the War, he enrolled at Lehigh University in Bethlehem where he received his mechanical engineering degree. Working as an engineer for US Steel, he was named project manager for several power plants throughout the United States and abroad.

Fred married Doris Hecker in 1951. They moved to Coraopolis, PA, outside of Pittsburgh, when Fred joined US Steel, and there together they raised their two children, Linda and Fred.

After retiring from US Steel, Fred was a consulting engineer before retiring a final time and moving to Hendersonville, NC in 1987. In North Carolina, Fred developed many hobbies and passions. Traveling internationally, reading auto magazines (mainly about Chrysler products), hiking and square-dancing were all fun, but flowers and shrubs were truly his passion as he became a Master Gardener. Although a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease in 2002 slowed him somewhat, he continued an active life and moved to Lakeview Village Retirement Community in Lenexa, KS in 2011 with Doris, and he still was planting flowers until the end.

…And now Heaven will have someone to tend to all of its flowers.

Fred is survived by Doris, his wife of 64 years, his daughter Linda Cole of Shawnee, KS and her husband Jim and his son Fred Kalmbach of Cincinnati, OH, and grandchildren Kelly and Zack Cole and Alex and Nick Kalmbach.

A Celebration of Life will be scheduled at a later date.

The family would like to thank the caregivers of Lakeview Village Rehab unit and the caregivers of Crossroads Hospice for the compassion they showed Fred in the last few days of his life.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to Lakeview Village Foundation (9100 Park, Lenexa, KS 66215) or Great Plains SPCA is requested.

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