Frederick William Bohn

Frederick William Bohn

Frederick W. Bohn (Fred) passed away peacefully on May 11, 2023, at home surrounded by his loving family. Fred was born the first child of Frederick and Mary Edna (Atkinson) on February 9, 1933, at Samaritan Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. Five years later his only sibling, Susanne, was born. At 8 years old, young Fred and his family moved to Jamaica, Queens.

Fred’s childhood was a happy one often shared with extended family and friends. Many of his most vivid childhood memories were from summers spent at his family bungalow in the Catskills. It was there where Fred learned and honed his skills at baseball, a sport that would remain a lifelong passion.

Fred attended public grammar school in Brooklyn and Queens and graduated from Jamaica High School in 1951. His school buddies nicknamed him “The Deacon” because of his early school dismissals for Catechism Class and his frequent Mass attendance. Following high school, Fred enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served honorably as a proud Seabee. After his service, Fred attended New York City Community College, courtesy of the GI Bill, where he studied Construction Technology and upon graduation, Fred went to work at American Bridge, a Division of U.S. Steel in Downtown Manhattan.

All was going very well for Fred at this time. Soon, life was going to get a lot better. Also working at American Bridge was a woman whose own brother-in-law labelled “the most eligible bachelorette in NYC”. The day Mary Shea accepted Fred’s request for a date was the day his life would change forever. Their first date included drinks at Sardi’s followed by the company Christmas party. The first date led to a second date, then a third and the two of them never looked back. Fred proposed and the two married at St. Aiden’s RC Church in Jersey City on June 27, 1959. They would ultimately become the parents of six children.

The young family lived for a short while in Southern California, followed by several years in Bayonne, NJ; eventually settling in Kinnelon NJ in 1969, where the Bohn clan called home for the next 50 years. Fred worked as a sales engineer for Nicholas J. Bouras Inc. from 1978 until his retirement in 1998. He completed two NYC marathons and one more in Montreal. His preferred pastimes included baseball, Doo-wop music, classic movies, and target shooting with his official Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. He loved taking his family on long car trips which included the annual pilgrimage to Cooperstown, NY, and was a beloved coach for youth football and baseball for many years.

Fred is predeceased by his parents, his sister Susanne (Bardio), and Mary, his beloved wife of 55 years. He is survived by his six children, William, James (Alina), Thomas (Mary Jean), John (Judy), Regina and F. Mark, 15 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Fred lived the last three years of his life in Florida where he enjoyed going out to breakfast, visiting the Disney parks, and sipping wine every evening on the back patio.

To honor Fred’s memory, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Fred was a long-term contributor to the cause and would be delighted to know others were making contributions in his name.

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 9, 2023, from 9:00am-11:00am at Our Lady of the Magnificat Church, 2 Miller Road, Kinnelon, NJ. A mass will be offered at 11:00am also on Friday at the Church.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

501 St. Jude Place • Memphis, TN 38105

https://www.stjude.org