Frederick Dean Anderson

August 11, 1946 – August 31, 2023

Frederick Dean Anderson of Edmonton, Alberta, known and loved as Fred, Freddie, Orfday, Dad, or Afi, passed away at the age of 77 after a very long battle with Parkinson’s Disease and related complications in which his irrepressible spirit persisted through many challenging times.             

Fred is survived by his children Darren, Angela and Daniel; their mother, Vivian; their life partners: Lori, Scott, and Ashley; and by his grandchildren: Jack, Flynn, William, Aidan, and Waylon. Fred was predeceased by his brother Bryce and his sister Louise. He leaves behind his other five siblings: Gary (Grace), Sylvia (Peter,) Jim (Dianne), Dennis (Nina) and Marjorie (Gary).

Fred was born and grew up on a farm five miles north of Libau, Manitoba on the edge of Lake Winnipeg. He was the youngest of the eight children of Thorsteinn Andres Anderson and Àsdis Sigrun Guttormson. Fred was always the “pet” of his large family. He was gifted with a sunny disposition, a sharp wit, and a bright, enquiring mind, which enabled him to sail through his grades at the one-room schoolhouse he attended. As a member of a large contingent of young Anderson males—his brothers and many cousins who lived nearby—Fred spent hours of enjoyment in the bush and marshlands that surrounded his home, in his early years perfecting the art of shooting with a slingshot and later, as a teenager, banding ducks with his father for Ducks Unlimited.

After attending high school in Selkirk where he earned the Governor General’s Medal and graduated with honours, he completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Manitoba, followed by a Master of Business Administration at the Ivey School of Business at Western University in London, Ontario. Fred, along with Vivian and their children eventually settled in Edmonton, Alberta, after some years in London, Ontario and Winnipeg Manitoba.

For many years, Fred practiced commercial real estate development as the owner of Jason Realty and Management until Parkinson’s forced his early retirement. Fred served as an active member of the Gyro Club of Sherwood Park for many years, including a term as president. Since childhood Fred maintained his passion for the natural world. He enjoyed hunting ducks and geese and was an active member of Ducks Unlimited Canada, an organization dedicated to conserving wetlands and other natural spaces.

Fred was a loving, hands-on dad and took great pride in his children, supporting them and cheering them on in their academics, sports, and artistic pursuits. He was very pleased to see his children choose careers, find their life partners, and start families of their own. Fred was a master of trivia, and loved to play games including billiards, Bocce ball, Scrabble, and card games. He took great delight in playing games with his grandchildren, amusing them with jokes, listening to them play music, and hearing of their academic and extra-curricular activities.

Following his early retirement, Fred quickly turned his interests and creative talents to art and poetry. He crafted many beautiful paintings of natural scenery, geese, ducks, and more, which are even more impressive considering the motor challenges of Parkinson’s. Fred was also a member of the Edmonton Stroll of Poets for several years, and his poems have been featured in in Mosaic, Prairie Fire, The Icelandic Canadian, the Logberg Heimskringla, and Synchronicity magazines, VUE Newspaper, two Friends of University Hospitals anthologies, and on CBC Radio. In 2004, he published a collection of his poems and artwork entitled White Flashes on Charcoal, and in 2014, his brainchild, an anthology entitled Keep It Cold and Other Good Advice, was published.

Fred’s family would like to thank the staff of Capital Care Lynnwood and his personal caregiver and friend, Karol Durham (and her partner, Len) for their kindness and care of Fred over the past many years.

A celebration of Fred’s life will be held in Edmonton on Sunday, October 1, 2:00 p.m. at The Derrick Club, 3509 119 St NW. If you plan to attend, please email memorialfred@gmail.com                                                                         

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Parkinson Association of Alberta, Capital Care Lynnwood, or a charity of your choice.