Frederick A. Meister, Jr.

Naples, FL - Frederick A. Meister, Jr. passed away peacefully in Naples, Florida on March 1st of this year with his wife, Llewellyn, by his side. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons, Brandon and his husband Scott of Dallas, Texas and Ryan and his wife Brooke as well as grandchildren, Greyson and Aubrey.

Professionally, Fred enjoyed a rewarding career where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Minnesota. Subsequently, he was granted a full fellowship in International Relations from the University of California at Santa Barabara. Afterward he was offered the opportunity to work at the White House as a senior staff member of the Office of Management and Budget. In that capacity Fred had the honor to brief Presidents Johnson, Nixon and Ford on matters of National Security.

Later in his career, he worked in a very senior capacity at the Federal Aviation Administration. On numerous occasions he was called upon by Congress to testify on concerns relating to national policy issues. Thereafter, he was offered the position of Vice President for government affairs at Frontier Airlines.

Ultimately, the epilogue of Fred's life took him into a completely different direction when he assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United State for nearly two decades until his retirement and relocation to Naples, Florida.

Retirement afforded Fred the opportunity to follow numerous passions including boating and travel which he pursued with his trademark desire to be the best and most fulfilled as possible. Of particular note, and one that Fred took great pride in, was his achievement in completing and obtaining a Coast Guard Captains certification.

Fred was equally devoted to seeing the world. Experiencing the highs and lows of travel became a passion for him with Llewellyn by his side. Ultimately, there was probably no place on the planet they did not visit.

Despite a very fulfilled life, Fred's greatest passion was sharing his experiences with those who mattered most to him. In reality, he was quite the talker and never at a loss for words. As a final note this summation of Fred's life would be incomplete without recognizing his side kick, Jazz, his dog who was forever by his side.

Memorial contributions may be made in Fred's name to the: Frederick A. Meister, Jr. Scholarship Fund, University of Minnesota Foundation, 200 Oak Street, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55455 or The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675. For online condolences, please visit fullernaples.com