Fred W. Gehricke

1918 - 2013

Fred Gehricke passed away peacefully on January 3, 2013, surrounded by family. He was 94.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on August 26, 1918; raised in Ridgewood, N.Y. Fred graduated from Grover Cleveland H.S. in 1936, spending many summers at Rockaway Beach and playing with a semi pro football team called the Black Knights.

He was a proud WW II veteran, enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1944 and was trained to work on aircraft instrumentation which lead him to be a contributing factor for the development of the Norton bombsite. He had worked on B-24's and B-25's. After his discharge from the U.S. Navy he became a reservist in the U.S. Air Force for some years.

Fred met his love of his life, Christa, in Jacksonville, Fla., where they married in 1944. They had a long happy union of 67 years prior to Christa's passing in 2011. Fred and Christa spent many wonderful years in Westbury, Long Island, N.Y., were Fred worked for Grumman Aircraft in Bethpage, Long Island.

Fred also attended evening college classes at Hofstra and Adelphi Universities graduating with a B.S. degree in Engineering. Fred and Christa came to California in the late 1980's (settling in Gilroy). Fred was an avid Ham radio operator, volunteering in many civic activities. They later moved closer to their son and family, taking up residence in Camarillo. Fred's other passions were RV camping, amateur radio, gadgets-how to make the better mouse trap, electronics and sailing - relaxing on the open seas whether on Long Island Sound or Monterey Bay. Fred enjoyed the outdoors, camping across the USA with his loving wife Christa who he has joined in Heaven - eternally together again.

Fred is survived by his son, Robert; daughter-in-law, Melodi; grandchildren, Jared, Christa Lynn and husband Tommy; and great-grandchild, Mackenzie Lynn.

Fred has left us but will never be forgotten.

A memorial service will be held at the Riverside National Cemetery, date and time to be determined.