Renowned physician Dr. Frederick R. Singer passed away peacefully at Providence St. Johns Health Center in Santa Monica on September 26, where he served as the director of the osteoporosis/metabolic bone disease program.
Will Rogers said he never met a man he didn't like. Fred Singer never met a person who didn't like him. He had a very modest upbringing, and became the first person in his family to attend college. His contributions as a doctor to many prominent people, researcher, and teacher were only surpassed by his devotion to his family and friends.
Fred was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Meyer and Lee Singer on June 27, 1942. He distinguished himself early, playing piano on the radio as a child. Fred graduated from Huntington Park High School where he was a California Scholarship Federation Seal Bearer, its highest honor, and starred on the basketball team. He studied at UCLA and Berkeley as a California State Scholar starting in 1956, then earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from UCSF and began a medical internship at a UCLA-affiliated hospital in 1963.
Fred found a lifetime of joy when he married Sandra Joy Singer in 1964, and he became a resident at the VA hospital in Los Angeles. The following year the newlyweds headed to Alamagordillo, NM, where Fred became Captain Singer in the U.S. Air Force. After his Honorable Discharge, he and Sandy crossed the pond to London, where Fred doctored at Hammersmith Hospital, London. Next up, in 1969, Fred had distinguished himself so highly that he became an instructor in medicine at Harvard University while taking his talents to the Mass General Hospital .
While in Boston, Fred and Sandy welcomed daughter Stefanie Lynn to their world later that that year, and Jeffrey Lawrence in 1971. Not wanting to become Celtics and Red Sox fans, Fred and Sandy headed back to LA in 1972 where he served as a clinical investigator at the VA hospital, and an assistant professor of medicine at UCLA, before moving to County Hospital and USC in 1974. His book "Paget's Disease of Bone" was published in 1977, and he authored and edited over 200 articles in prestigious journals over the years. His groundbreaking research in the field of endocrinology gained him worldwide recognition from his peers.
In 1989, the kid from Huntington Park became the director of the world-renowned Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Bone Center. The next year, Fred received the John Johnson Award from The Paget Foundation, where he served as Chairman of the Board and served as the president of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research. In 1992, he become a clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine, and moved across town to become the director of the Skeletal Biology Lab at the John Wayne Cancer Institute and the director of the osteoporosis/metabolic bone disease program at St. John's. The awards kept coming, as he received the Constellation Award from the Fibrous Dysplasia Foundation and the William H. Oldendorf Lifetime Achievement Award from the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. The distinguished doc also served on the board of trustees of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Fred had numerous lifelong passions. He delighted in playing doubles on weekend with Jeff, and Jeff's friends, on Eli and Edythe Broad's beautiful tennis court. He loved attending plays with Stefanie and Sandy, and traveling the world with Sandy, with the kids sometimes in tow. An avid Laker, Dodger, and Bruin fan, he took the kids to many games over the years. He was a music buff as well, grooving to the Beatles, and jazz, and Sinatra. Speaking of Ol' Blue eyes, Fred was thrilled when Sinatra became one of his many VIP patients. An art lover as well, he cherished the close friendship that developed with the teacher of an art appreciation class, Vasa Mihich, often gifting Vasa's uniquely beautiful sculptures to friends and family.
While Fred's loved ones are devastated by his passing, they are grateful for the nearly 14 years they were blessed with after his successful heart transplant. He was survived by his wife Sandy, daughter Stefanie, son Jeff, granddaughter Kylie, and daughter-in-love Maria. He is surely reunited with his favorite grand-dog Atticus.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation: https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/support-bhof
Will Rogers said he never met a man he didn't like. Fred Singer never met a person who didn't like him. He had a very modest upbringing, and became the first person in his family to attend college. His contributions as a doctor to many prominent people, researcher, and teacher were only surpassed by his devotion to his family and friends.
Fred was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Meyer and Lee Singer on June 27, 1942. He distinguished himself early, playing piano on the radio as a child. Fred graduated from Huntington Park High School where he was a California Scholarship Federation Seal Bearer, its highest honor, and starred on the basketball team. He studied at UCLA and Berkeley as a California State Scholar starting in 1956, then earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from UCSF and began a medical internship at a UCLA-affiliated hospital in 1963.
Fred found a lifetime of joy when he married Sandra Joy Singer in 1964, and he became a resident at the VA hospital in Los Angeles. The following year the newlyweds headed to Alamagordillo, NM, where Fred became Captain Singer in the U.S. Air Force. After his Honorable Discharge, he and Sandy crossed the pond to London, where Fred doctored at Hammersmith Hospital, London. Next up, in 1969, Fred had distinguished himself so highly that he became an instructor in medicine at Harvard University while taking his talents to the Mass General Hospital .
While in Boston, Fred and Sandy welcomed daughter Stefanie Lynn to their world later that that year, and Jeffrey Lawrence in 1971. Not wanting to become Celtics and Red Sox fans, Fred and Sandy headed back to LA in 1972 where he served as a clinical investigator at the VA hospital, and an assistant professor of medicine at UCLA, before moving to County Hospital and USC in 1974. His book "Paget's Disease of Bone" was published in 1977, and he authored and edited over 200 articles in prestigious journals over the years. His groundbreaking research in the field of endocrinology gained him worldwide recognition from his peers.
In 1989, the kid from Huntington Park became the director of the world-renowned Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Bone Center. The next year, Fred received the John Johnson Award from The Paget Foundation, where he served as Chairman of the Board and served as the president of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research. In 1992, he become a clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine, and moved across town to become the director of the Skeletal Biology Lab at the John Wayne Cancer Institute and the director of the osteoporosis/metabolic bone disease program at St. John's. The awards kept coming, as he received the Constellation Award from the Fibrous Dysplasia Foundation and the William H. Oldendorf Lifetime Achievement Award from the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. The distinguished doc also served on the board of trustees of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Fred had numerous lifelong passions. He delighted in playing doubles on weekend with Jeff, and Jeff's friends, on Eli and Edythe Broad's beautiful tennis court. He loved attending plays with Stefanie and Sandy, and traveling the world with Sandy, with the kids sometimes in tow. An avid Laker, Dodger, and Bruin fan, he took the kids to many games over the years. He was a music buff as well, grooving to the Beatles, and jazz, and Sinatra. Speaking of Ol' Blue eyes, Fred was thrilled when Sinatra became one of his many VIP patients. An art lover as well, he cherished the close friendship that developed with the teacher of an art appreciation class, Vasa Mihich, often gifting Vasa's uniquely beautiful sculptures to friends and family.
While Fred's loved ones are devastated by his passing, they are grateful for the nearly 14 years they were blessed with after his successful heart transplant. He was survived by his wife Sandy, daughter Stefanie, son Jeff, granddaughter Kylie, and daughter-in-love Maria. He is surely reunited with his favorite grand-dog Atticus.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation: https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/support-bhof
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