Frederick E. Mahler

Frederick Ernest Mahler, 82, departed on Dec 12 surrounded by his family in Webster, Texas. He was born to Harry "Manny" Emanuel Mahler (a co-inventor of Fiberglas) and Mary Belle Mahler on June 17, 1934, in Marion, Ohio. He graduated from Ridgewood High School, New Jersey, in 1952 and from Miami University of Ohio in 1958, where he served as a loyal brother of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. From 1954 to 1956 he served in the 60th Infantry Regiment "Go Devils" of the Ninth Infantry Division of the United States Army of Occupation in Germany. Fred married his Zeta Tau Alpha sweetheart Marlene Janet Castator in 1956 and was devoted to her until her passing in 1995. Fred and high school friend Carolyn Jane (Krausse) Zahn, also widowed, married in 1998 and enjoyed companionship until her passing in 2012. In Dallas Fred helped grow the John G. Mahler Company into a successful business in imported exotic leathers; and he co-led a successful enterprise in foam rubber. In Galveston he participated in the development of Tiki Island Village and was a wholehearted participant in Dickens on the Strand. He became an award-winning sales and marketing representative for Mobil Oil in the greater Houston area, repeatedly passing up offers of promotion for the sake of preserving time with family. Fred was an active and avid military veteran, military historian, air force aficionado, Hill Country camper, poltical conservative, gun collector, coin collector, and philatelist. Fred donated the bulk of his military insignia collection (at one time one of the largest in Texas) to the Lone Star Flight Museum. Fred worshipped at Clear Lake Presbyterian in Clear Lake City, Texas, and at The Worship Place in Georgetown, Texas. His spiritual roots include the Congregationalist and Wesleyan German Church of God denominations. Fred's friends in Sun City Georgetown and at The Wesleyan at Estrella remember him warmly. Surviving Fred is his son Kurt Frederick Mahler, daughter Kristen Jane (Mahler) Mikkelsen, sister Katherine (Mahler) Boyd, and eight grandchildren: Alyssa, Sarah, Becca, Daniel, Samuel, Maegan, Grant, and Kendall. Memorial services are at The Wesleyan at Estrella in Georgetown, Texas, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, 7 January 17; and also at Rose Hill Burial Park in Hamilton, Ohio, this summer, where the urn of his ashes will be laid to rest with his beloved Marlene. A poem commemorating him may be found at https://kurtmahler.com/ ode-to-fred-mahler / ‎