Fred Karlin

1924 - 2018

Fred Karlin
August 11, 1924 - August 31, 2018

Fred Karlin transitioned to his new life in heaven 31 Aug 2018 at 94 years of age. We are not grieving as others grieve (1 Thess 4:13) yet we will miss our Daddy and we choose to celebrate that we had a good man, a moral man, a loving man and a man of faith to guide us in our lives. We celebrate his reunion with family and friends that have gone before; especially his two wives, Margaret and Leona, his parents, brother Bob, sisters Ruby and Marge and oldest son Don.
Fred was remarkably healthy until the last few months, but he had not been able to wade into the cold waters below Navajo Lake in several years and fish for the big trout he could find like few others. Except for his fishing buddy Paul, Fred could always catch fish when others couldn't. If there is quality water (as flows out of Navajo Dam), full of large trout in heaven, Fred will have on his waders, fly rod in hand and casting his hand tied flies across the water. He loved to read quality historical fiction. Now he can visit with the authors of the books he loved and get new stories from their own mouths. If one can still watch their favorite football team in heaven, he will watch the Dallas Cowboys.
Fred loved his church, Aztec United Methodist church. He served it faithfully by his service, tithes, offerings and love for Jesus and his community for over 60 years.
Fred spent most of his working life in the Aztec Public School system as a teacher and administrator at Lydia Rippey Elementary, Koogler Junior High and Park Avenue Elementary.
Fred was a veteran. He served in WWII in the United States Coast Guard on the USS Leonard Wood, APA-12 in the Pacific Theatre participating in the invasions of the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Palaus and the Philippines at Leyte Gulf. He was a bowman on a Higgins Boat (landing craft). He manned the 30 caliber machine guns as his landing craft approached the beaches and lowered and raised the steal ramp so the soldiers and marines could storm the beaches.
Fred is survived by his son Bob Karlin(wife Janice)of Abilene, TX, daughter Betty Karlin Cole(husband Johnny) of Grand Junction, CO, and daughter-in-law Corky Karlin Bennett of Farmington, NM. He is also survived by his nine grandchildren: Mike Karlin, Craig Karlin, Joy Clarke, Becky Mears, Ben Karlin, Fred Karlin, Laura Coles, Matt Cole and Maggie Funk. There are several great-grandchildren.
Callahan-Edfast Mortuary & Crematory 2512 Patterson Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506 is in charge of the cremation.
A memorial service is planned for October 6, 2018 at 10 am at the Aztec United Methodist Church.