Fred B. Cole

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Fred Cole Obituary

Of Hingham, Dec. 6th, Fred B., age 92. Husband of Betsey (Balch) Cole. Devoted Father of Cheryl Sherwin and her husband Leo, and Daphne Keeler and her husband Dan all of Hingham. Loving grandfather of Scott McLaughlin of San Diego, Stacey Paretchan of Hingham, Dana Keeler of Boston and the late Dean Keeler. Also survived by 4 great grand-children; Alex, Tyler, Danielle and Cole. At the request of his family, funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Hingham Land Conservation Trust, P.O. Box 10, Hingham, MA 02043. For additional information, please visit www.downingchapel.com.

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Published by Boston Globe from Dec. 8 to Dec. 9, 2007.

Memories and Condolences
for Fred Cole

12 Entries

Joey Mayer

December 14, 2007

I was so sorry to he of Fred's passing when I returned to MA..I considered myself a good friend of " Freddie's ". I met him when he became a dispatcher with the Hingham PD. He always had a great story to tell me that would relieve the stress at the PD.
Please accept my most sincere sympathy on the lost of a great guy. Fred will truly be missed.

John Mullaney

December 14, 2007

I met Fred B at the post office,during his frequent visits.After a while,he would call my house and talk about the golden days of radio.Then we started going out for coffee,in Norwell.It was nice spending time with him and I will surely miss him.

Kevin Keleher

December 11, 2007

I worked with Fred B. Cole at WRPS 91.9 FM in Rockland, MA from 1981-1984. By chance, my Friday afternoon program preceded Mr. Cole's. I'll always remember how he took the time to offer a few pointers to this teen-aged disc jockey. At the top of each hour we used to have the News ("Mutual News" is what we called the feed). One Friday afternoon, as I was putting away the 45's from my show, Mr. Cole took the time to offer some constructive criticism that I'll never forget. He told me to always play an instrumental leading into the News...of course he said, "always play Glenn Miller..." and laughed. It was only later I learned he and Glenn Miller were friends, but that was Mr. Cole. A quick wit. Fred, thank you for the music!

JAY DAVIDSON

December 11, 2007

I was only 9 yrs old when my Dad introduced me to Fred. Fred was doing a remote from the old A & P in Randolph. He was very nice to us and signed autographs. Fred was a Boston radio legend.

Jay Davidson
Randolph, MA

Paul Power

December 10, 2007

I worked with Fred from 1965-1967 at WHDH and have many fond memories of talking to him and his tech. Newt Stevens. We shared many laughs and good times. I also worked weekends at WLLH AM/FM in Lowell and Fred would listen to me on FM and "critique" my shows. Shortly after he left 'HDH in early '67, I left for the new WRKO and continued listening to him and Bill Marlowe on WNTN. It was good to re-kindle some old memories with Fred at the Len Zola luncheons. Rest in Peace, Old Friend.

Gary Linscott

December 10, 2007

I enjojed alot of great experiences with Fred B Cole as one of the best dispatches Hingham Police Dept.ever had! He was an inspiration to all Police Officers who worked with him. My prayers for his family,his memory will never grow old.

Fred McLennan

December 10, 2007

A young Fred B.Cole first worked for Dutch land Farms Ice Cream stand in Hingham and was encouraged to join the Telephone Company where an Aunt had married into The Williams Laboratory family that helped develop the Telephone with Alexander Graham Bell. Fred, however, was destined for a much bigger microphone than just a phone and its doubtful that any other radio announcer shot to the top quicker than Fred. NBC Radio at Radio City before he knew it and perhaps the first radio talk show on Boston radio when he took listeners phone calls over WBZ the night after Pear Harbor. His voice clear as a bell to the end he likely could have continued his career for two or three decades but for his sympathy for an out of work announcer who showed up at Boston's WHDH Radio one morning..Fred gave the WHDH GM a heads up about hiring that guy sitting outside."Who sounded pretty good when he was on the old WMEX" It was Norm Nathan, Fred's Big Band and Jazz replacement on Boston radio for a number of years. Norm took the torch from a Fred B. Cole who already belonged to music and Radio's Golden era he had already reached its mountain tops
As the song goes "The music has ended but the the melody lingers on" as it is sign off time at The Mobile Studios at all those A&P's that predeceased him

Ray Doucette

December 10, 2007

I enjoyed engineering for Fred at WNTN Radio 1550 in 1966 and 1967. It was always a pleasure and I will remember him always.

Peter Swanson

December 9, 2007

Fred B. Cole has a storied history in Broadcasting - not just "records to play and things to say" - Beyond his "A&P Road Show" in which he did hundreds of "remotes" from in front of various A&P Supermarkets in the New England area, Fred was a superb m.c. for famous big bands broadcasting live back in the 1940's.
He will be missed by many, many New England music lovers & Hinghamites who appreciated his good works within town. Rest in peace, Fred B.
May you find Glenn Miller's table in heaven and have a wonderful reunion dinner.

Tom Heathwood

December 9, 2007

I was proud to know dear Fred when I was still just a youngster and entering into broadcasting.

Lou Dumont

December 8, 2007

I cherish the memories of Fred B.
calling my home and 'talking radio.'
He loved the big bands and served them so well as top-flight announcer. I can still see him at the microphone in the WHDH studio in the mid 1960s.

William Buchanan

December 8, 2007

Fred B. Cole...my dear friend for so many years. RIP.

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