New Comer Family Obituaries - Fred Bassett Hagedorn 1928 - 2019 - Newcomer Cremations, Funerals & Receptions

Obituary photo of Fred Hagedorn, Titusville-FL

In Loving Memory of

Fred Bassett Hagedorn

1928 - 2019

In Loving Memory of

Fred Bassett Hagedorn

1928 - 2019

Services & Gatherings

Visitation:

Saturday, October 26, 2019 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Topeka, KS

Service:

Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 2:00pm
Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Topeka, KS

Newcomer - E. Orlando Chapel (407-277-4227) is assisting the family

Fred Bassett Hagedorn, 91, of Orlando, FL died Oct. 1 after a long illness. He grew up on a Jefferson, Iowa farm, was valedictorian of his high school class, and after 18 months in the U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division, he entered Iowa State College. A physics major, Fred continued his education at the California Institute of Technology. Although his PhD from Cal Tech was in nuclear physics, for most of his career he worked in applied magnetics, at Bell Laboratories (1957-1985) in Murray Hill, N.J., and at Parks Jaggers Aerospace, Westinghouse, and Northrop Grumman in Orlando until 1998. He then volunteered at a friend’s start-up business for several years.

Fred was a fellow of the American Physical Society, a member of Sigma Xi and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a life fellow of the IEEE, and winner of an IEEE Centennial Medal and the Magnetics Society Achievement Award.

While living in Berkeley Heights, NJ, Fred served on the local planning board and the regional high school board of education.
Fred and his wife Grace had two daughters who grew up in Berkeley Heights, Katherine (deceased) and Martha. Other survivors include sons-in-law Terry Ryan and Christopher Krass, grandchildren Jenifer Krass and Gabriel Hagedorn, and brother Harry Hagedorn (Rosemary). Deceased siblings were Homer Hagedorn (Pat) and Dorothy Knickel.

Visitation is October 26, 2019 from 1pm to 2pm with funeral service starting at 2pm at Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Topeka, KS and may be viewed online at www.penwellgabeltopeka.com.

Interment with military honors to follow at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Berryton, KS

Donations in Fred’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl 17, Chicago, IL 60601 or to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, 34 Washington St., Suite 310, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 or the charity of your choice.

To share your memories of Fred or leave a special condolence message for his family, please click the Share Memories button above.

Services & Gatherings

Visitation:

Saturday, October 26, 2019 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Topeka, KS

Service:

Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 2:00pm
Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home in Topeka, KS

Newcomer - E. Orlando Chapel (407-277-4227) is assisting the family

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Memories & Condolences

As a childhood friend of Fred's daughter, Martha, I knew Fred as Mr. Hagedorn. As I was growing up. Mr. Hagedorn was a source inspiration to me. Of course I was impressed because he was a Bell Labs scientist, however, even more impressive to me was his ability and discipline to run 2 miles every day - a distance that seemed impossible to me at the time, especially since he was the only adult that I can ever remember intentionally exercising on a daily basis. As a teenager, when I decided that I was going to join the boy's track team (there was no girl's team at the time), I remember going with him and Martha to the track at Governor Livingston high school. While I jogged slowly trying to work up to a mile, Mr. Hagedorn would complete lap after lap. The last I saw him - perhaps 15 years ago when he and Mrs. Hagedorn stayed overnight at my place while visiting NYC. He was still incredibly fit and I remember commenting on it. There were also no signs of mental decline when we went out for dinner and chatted. I'll remember him this way, and it's hard for me to imagine such a stalwart man becoming frail and suffering from Altzheimer's. I'm very sorry to hear about this and know that it must have been very difficult for everyone.

~ Lenore Snyder - October 11, 2019

Fred was a good man incredible gentleman very sweet guy. I never going to forget mr. Fred Hagedorn

~ Richard Mora - October 5, 2019

We mourn the passing of a great friend and neighbor, Fred. He was always kind, helpful and generous.
The past few years have been very hard of his wife, Grace, who lived up to her name every day in her loving care of him
as he fought Alzheimers Disease.
Fred had a long and successful career with Westinghouse, transferring with the company to Orlando and becoming an active
part of the neighborhood he adopted.
We are going to. miss him greatly.

~ Jackie and Jack Sneed - October 3, 2019