Fred James Scobey

June 28, 1924 - June 5, 2014 Fred James Scobey, long time resident of Southern California, passed away on Thursday, June 5th, 2014 from complications relating to an eleven year battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Fred had been living in the California Central Coast community of Nipomo since 1998, moving there from Hollywood, California. He was born in Los Angeles on June 28th, 1924 to Lee George Scobey (d. March 5, 1964) and Minnie Mae Cleary (d. October 1987). Fred spent his formative years in Inglewood, CA.; the Depression era had him attending Washington High School. Mr. Scobey was a member of the Boy Scouts and in 1939 became an Eagle Scout. On December 8th, 1941 as a high school senior he joined the US Navy reaching the rank of Chief Petty Officer while serving as a radioman aboard a PBY-2Y3. During those years their job was routine sub chasing off the western coasts of North and South America. On June 3rd, 1944 he married Doris Dolores Downs (b.October 22nd, 1926). After WWII Fred moved to Inglewood and went to work sweeping floors at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and in 1947 on to Lookout Mountain Laboratories, Laurel Canyon. While attending night school he received a degree in Engineering from the University of Southern California and secured a new job at Deluxe-General/20th Century Fox Hollywood. In 1949 he moved his family to Van Nuys and in 1956 to Canoga Park. Fox and Deluxe Film merged and in 1963. Fred moved his family to New Jersey where his assignment was the dismantling Fox's Film Lab in New York City and moving it back to Deluxe in Hollywood. The entire project took seven years. Mr. Scobey followed in due course and moved the family to Hollywood. In 1976 Fred was made Senior Vice President at Deluxe and received numerous Scientific Academy Award Citations and patents for research in film. This was followed by three Technical Achievement Academy Awards for development of a process for silver recovery from photographic wash-waters by ion exchange. In 1984 Fred retired from Deluxe and was rehired by Technicolor Film, Universal City as Vice President under Ray Gaul. Fred retired from Technicolor in 1992. An avid fishermen and golfer, Fred along with wife Doris purchased a vacation home in Mammoth Lakes. In 1998 Fred and Doris moved from Hollywood to Black Lake in Nipomo. Fred's loving wife Doris passed away on October 30th, 2007 from complications of Pancreatic Cancer. Due to failing health Mr. Scobey's family had him placed at Sacred Heart Care Facility, Nipomo until his passing. Fred was a lifetime member of the Boy Scouts serving as Scoutmaster most of those years. He was also a member and served in various officer positions of the Lions Club, Hollywood, Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE serving as President) and The American Society of Cinematographers. In 1974 he became a lifetime member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Besides his wife of 63 years Fred was preceded in death by sons Charles Roy (d.1976) and twins David Jeffery and John Edward (d.2002). He leaves behind his children Bill, Sylvia and Joe, nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.