Fred J. Hartrick

Fred J. Hartrick, 88, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 in Buffalo, N.Y. after an extended illness. He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Kathy (Paulus). He also is survived by his brother Don (Linda) and sister Sue; children, Merideth, Heather (John) and John (Jeanette); grandchildren, Kevin (Aubree), Emily (Jason), Brian (Lex), Sarah (Zack), Wyatt, Leah (Ethan), Mimi, Peter, Lily, Julia, Sadie, Christopher (Chris), Jason (Anna) and Angela; and great grandchildren Kaizer, Hudson, Finley and James. He was predeceased by his father and mother, John and Anne (Kershaw), grandson Aaron, son-in-law Derrick, brother-in-law Larry and his first wife Mary.

Fred was born January 12, 1937, in Rochester, N.Y. He held degrees from Oberlin College and Penn State University before beginning an accomplished 36-year tenure at Buffalo State College.

A 2013 inductee into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, Fred was one of the most influential persons in Buffalo State athletics history after serving the institution in four different decades as a coach, instructor and administrator (1960-96).

Also a member of the Buffalo State Hall of Fame, he made his most significant contributions as the men's soccer coach (22 years) and later Director of Athletics (11 years). Fred's impact on the growth of soccer in Western New York was unparalleled. He coached 14 All-Americans and led multiple Bengals teams to conference titles and NCAA tournament berths. He also served as a consultant and television analyst for the Buffalo Stallions professional indoor team, edited volumes of soccer publications and helped introduce youth soccer to WNY with camps, clinics and summer leagues, including the creation of the first summer soccer program on Grand Island. His leadership as Athletics Director paved the way for numerous facility enhancements and sports success and growth at Buffalo State.

After retiring from college athletics in 1996, he served as Director of the Buffalo District Golf Association for eight years.

Fred and Kathy enjoyed 40+ years of golfing, gaming and vacationing at their family cottage on Loughborough Lake in Kingston, Ontario, the birthplace of his parents. In recent years they celebrated special events with family and shared time at home with their cats Spike and Spook.

A noted Master of Ceremonies with a quick wit and a gift for the written word, Fred enjoyed life to the fullest and always delivered laughter to those around him. His stories, jokes and heartfelt smile will forever be etched in the memories of those who knew him.

Friends and family are invited to a Celebration of Life at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Buffalo State Sports Arena. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Fred's memory to Amherst Small Animal Hospital Pet Emergency Fund at petemergencyfund.org/donate. Condolences may be shared on this page.