John W. Friede

1964 - 2019

John William Friede, 54, beloved father of Forrest, Rowan and Benson, died of an unexpected, acute case of pancreatitis on September 10, 2019. John was born in New York, NY on December 10, 1964, the youngest son of John Alan Friede and Marcia Wilkinson Friede.

John grew up in Rye, NY. He was a playful, energetic, sweet-natured boy who enjoyed collecting baseball cards. Like his grandfather, Bud Wilkinson, John was a natural athlete who routinely won doubles tennis matches with his mother at the Rye Tennis Club. John graduated from SUNY Purchase, majoring in Environmental Studies and completed his Master's Degree at Antioch New England in Environmental Education. John founded and led Worldview, Ltd., an environmental organization housing a vast lending library on subjects related to sustainable living, organic agriculture, globalization, progressive politics, natural history, social justice movements, and peacemaking. John was particularly active on campaign finance reform and environmental justice. A musician and avid collector of world music, John took great pleasure in performing and sharing music.

John was curious by nature, a voracious consumer of any scrap of knowledge about the diversity of the world. His passion for the Earth led him on many adventures across the globe. As a teenager, John kayaked with orcas across Prince William Sound, using a hammock to catch salmon along the way. Among his many destinations were the Amazon basin, Denali National Park, Ecuador, the Grand Canyon, Europe, and Central America. As a parent, John continued to explore the world, sharing his adventures with his sons, creating extraordinary memories, and cultivating their love of travel. One of John's favorite places to take his family was Bonaire, where he logged hundreds of hours scuba diving and exploring.

John's sons were his greatest love. He was generous, dedicated, and endlessly loving to Forrest Beaudoin-Friede, Peterborough; Rowan Beaudoin-Friede, Peterborough; and Benson Friede, Etna. He is survived by his father, John Alan Friede, Peterborough; sisters Lisa Friede, Seattle, WA and Karen Friede Holden, Berkeley, CA; and Lisa Beaudoin of Temple. His service will be held at the Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church, Sunday, September 15th, 2:00pm.