Frederick Walcutt Terman

1929 - 2023

Fred Terman, educator and supporter of the arts, died in his Carmel home surrounded by famiy on August 11. Fred was born March 10, 1929 to Sibyl Walcutt Terman and Frederick Emmons Terman. With his two younger brothers, Terence and Lewis, he grew up on the Stanford University campus where his father and grandfather were on the faculty. He attended Stanford Elementary School and David Star Jordan Junior High School.In 1942 the family moved to the Boston area where his father headed a wartime laboratory at Harvard University. During that time Fred attended Belmont Hill School and Phillips Academy, Andover. In 1945 he left Andover without graduating to enter Stanford University in a special wartime program that allowed students to enter after their junior year in high school. He often referred to himself as a high school dropout. He graduated from Stanford with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science and a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering. He married Sally Briscoe in 1950 after their respective graduations.Following graduate work at Harvard University, Fred taught Electrical Engineering at Newark College of Engineering and Physics at Adelphi University. During this time he and his wife had two daughters, Patricia and Kathleen, and a son, Frederick, Jr. The family moved to the Monterey Peninsula in 1964 where Fred taught in the Electrical Engineering Department of the Naval Postgraduate School. After a hiatus at San Francisco State University, Fred returned to NPS where he taught for a total of 36 years. He came to specialize in Computer Engineering, teaching his final class at age 83. In 1972 Fred and Sally divorced. On New Year's Eve 1980 Fred met the love of his life, Nan Borreson. Fred and Nan were together for 43 years and shared a large blended family.Throughout his adult life Fred enthusiastically supported the performing arts, acting as stage manager, light technician, and technical crew member in local theaters. These included the Carmel Bach Festival and Forest Theater as well as performances at Zellerbach Theater in Berkeley, Memorial Hall at Stanford, Davies Hall in San Francisco, and St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco. He was co-founder and president for 20 years of the Baroque Choral Guild in Palo Alto and Berkeley. After he gave up the heavy lifting backstage, Fred continued to support many performing arts companies including Smuin Ballet and PacRep Theatre. Stage right at Sunset Theater, the box office at the Golden Bough, and the entrance lobby of the Smuin Ballet studio in San Francisco are dedicated to Fred and Nan. In recent years he served on the Boards of Directors for Chamber Music San Francisco and Amy Seiwert's ballet company, Imagery. He was a life-long Episcopalian, serving on the Vestry of Saint James Church, Monterey.Fred is survived by his wife Nan Borreson and their children Pat Terman and her husband David Frydenlund, Kathy Terman, Fred Terman, Jr., Ann Borreson, Steve Kreek and his wife Sylvia, Jane Dodge and her husband Mike, and Tamee Kreek; grandchildren Sarah Terman, Erik Frydenlund, Hank Vockroth and his wife Sloane, Josh Kreek, Ethan Kreek, Simon Dodge, and Will Dodge; and great granddaughter Elliot Vockroth. He is also survived by his brothers Terry Terman and his wife Adrian, and Lewis Terman and his wife Bobbie. He was predeceased by his first wife Sally Briscoe Terman, his sister-in-law Marilyn Terman, and his daughter-in-law Susan Terman.Memorial service will be Saturday, Oct. 14, 2 pm at St. James Episcopal Church, 381 High Street, Monterey."In lieu of flowers attend a live performance."