It truly saddens me to report that our good friend and Membership Director has succumbed to the illness he has valiantly fought the past eight months. Special thanks to Doug Meister for getting the info to me that Fred was in the hospital that enabled me to get in one last visit with him yesterday. He passed this morning peacefully.
Over the years, even before he was the Membership Director, Fred has been responsible for a number of folks joining the COG. If you rode, he figured you ought to be in the COG and would invite you to join. Join for the bike, stay for the people... that was always Fred's opinion of the club and he was one who helped a lot of folks decide to join and, probably, was encouragement for even more to stay. Fred was a no BS guy who called 'em like he saw 'em, and was not afraid to step up whenever there was need. A public servant to the end. I could spend a lot of bandwidth talking about this guy I have been proud to call "friend," a man who would always challenge you to be better and to not settle on the easy way around, and a man who would always help you when you found yourself struggling to get things done.
But alas, today Fred headed out on a new road, a better path leading to better vistas, better weather, and better BBQ. Yet I know he's not really far away. "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." And that's what keeps all things together.
Ride on and ride free big guy. Get your lean on and we'll see you around the bend.
Over the years, even before he was the Membership Director, Fred has been responsible for a number of folks joining the COG. If you rode, he figured you ought to be in the COG and would invite you to join. Join for the bike, stay for the people... that was always Fred's opinion of the club and he was one who helped a lot of folks decide to join and, probably, was encouragement for even more to stay. Fred was a no BS guy who called 'em like he saw 'em, and was not afraid to step up whenever there was need. A public servant to the end. I could spend a lot of bandwidth talking about this guy I have been proud to call "friend," a man who would always challenge you to be better and to not settle on the easy way around, and a man who would always help you when you found yourself struggling to get things done.
But alas, today Fred headed out on a new road, a better path leading to better vistas, better weather, and better BBQ. Yet I know he's not really far away. "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." And that's what keeps all things together.
Ride on and ride free big guy. Get your lean on and we'll see you around the bend.