John Curtis Fredericks
January 7, 1943 – July 9, 2024
John Curtis Fredericks was born in Troy, New York, on January 7, 1943, the oldest child of Mary Elizabeth (Kilcullen) and John William Fredericks. John grew up in Watervliet in New York's Capital District and attended Heatly School in Green Island. After high school he studied accounting at Siena College in Latham and moved with his family to Rotterdam.

John began a career with the New York State Department of Social Services in Albany, providing leadership and experience in supervising the administration of government programs designed to assist those in need. He transferred to the New York State Health Department briefly before retiring in 1999.
John was very devoted to his family. When he was eighteen years old his father passed away suddenly. He continued to work hard at his studies while also helping his mother and siblings through this incredibly painful loss. He was strong and determined to help his mother make sure the family had everything they needed to survive and succeed in life.
On May 19, 1973, he married the love of his life, Marcelle (Marcy) Ann Tearno, at St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Schenectady, New York. John and Marcy made their home in Guilderland, New York and would live there for over thirty years. They welcomed four sons over the next several years and their lives were always first and foremost devoted to their family. In 2011, with the boys all grown and out on their own, John and Marcy decided to move to warmer climes and made their home in Florida, first in Ormond Beach and then in Daytona Beach.

John loved to travel, especially to Ireland. John was very proud of his Irish roots. He visited Ireland five times during his life, and formed friendships with his mother's first cousins and his own second cousins in the Galway area. He also loved to vacation in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, spending time with his family on the beach and building elaborate sandcastles with the boys. During retirement, he and Marcy traveled to Europe several times and frequently vacationed in St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, welcoming their children and grandchildren and sharing stories of their honeymoon there in 1973.

John also loved to cook. He taught all four of his sons how to cook, setting aside Saturdays as "cooking days" with the boys when they were young – giving Marcy a night off – and he always took Sunday night for himself to make something special for the family. His favorite Thanksgiving dinner was a bit different: he loved making Saurbraten, a German-style pot roast. His family enjoyed cooking with him and eating the wonderful dishes he came up with.

John had a very strong faith in God and taught his family the meaning of love by his words and his example. He and Marcy raised their children Catholic, attending St. Madeleine Sophie Parish in Guilderland and later St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Rotterdam. After moving to Florida, John and Marcy became parishioners at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Ormond Beach. The love and trust in God that John exemplified will be a source of hope and strength for his family and will remain with them forever.

John in survived by his loving wife of 51 years Marcelle (Tearno) Fredericks, and his sons Eric (Archie), Christopher (Mike), Patrick (Dorrie), and Mark (Yolanda). John had five grandchildren: Ellie, Paige, Richard, Andrew, and Marcelle. John's siblings were Mary Elizabeth (Harry) Livingston, the late Sheila (Naresh) Chawla, the late George (Shawn) Fredericks, Noreen (Joe) Romano, Paul (Marilyn) Fredericks, Michael (Jo) Fredericks, and the late Mark Fredericks.

It was John's wish to be cremated. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 600 S. Nova Road, Ormond Beach, Florida, on August 10, 2024 at 11:00 a.m .

There will be a gathering at the Parish Hall following the Mass. John's final resting place will be at Daytona Memorial Park in Daytona Beach, Florida. His remains will be interred in a private ceremony with his family.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation to the American Red Cross or the American Cancer Society