Fred D. Whitwam

Fred Delaskie Whitwam 

June 17, 1939 – August 14, 2025

If you ever heard, “Hey, I’ve got a question for you…” over the phone, there’s a good chance you knew and loved Fred Whitwam. And if you were lucky enough to be on the receiving end of one of those calls, you also knew that question was his way of checking in—making sure you were okay, loved, and firmly on his radar.

Fred’s story began in Topeka, Kansas, where he was born on June 17, 1939. He grew up there, married his sweetheart, Marjorie Ilene Faunce, on June 16, 1963, and spent the next 62 years by her side. Their life together was filled with love, laughter, and the occasional playful jab—often from Fred.

In 1962, Fred entered the U.S. Army, heading to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and later serving at Fort Eustis, Virginia during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He loved to recall driving military equipment through the 17.6-mile tunnel under the Chesapeake Bay—probably with a grin and a story to go with it. He left the Army in 1964 as a Staff Sergeant, honorably discharged and ready to start the next chapter.

Fred and Marge welcomed their daughters Angela in 1967 and Rachelle in 1970. In 1976, the family moved into the home where Fred would perfect the art of mowing, weed eating, and—yes—good-naturedly judging other people’s lawns. He was also known to hop in the car at the sound of sirens, just to “see what was going on” in the neighborhood.

For 34 years, Fred worked at Fleming General Merchandise Distributing at Forbes Field in Topeka, retiring in 2003 when it closed. Retirement didn’t slow him down—he cleaned new construction houses for his friend Greg Brownlee, worked as a school bus aide for the Seaman district, and made sure his grandkids learned how to mow like pros.

The family gave him the nickname “Fast Freddy” for his quick turnaround on repairs and projects—a name that stuck so well they got him personalized plates: proudly displayed for nearly 20 years.

Fred was a master prankster, but his daughters had his kryptonite—if they told him to look them in the eye, the jig was up. He adored his six grandkids—Trevor, Shelby, Kendall, Creighton, Kian, and Jack—and while he had a strict “no diaper” policy, he never passed up holding a baby, playing, or giving mower rides.

Fred was famous for his short-but-sweet check-in calls, passing the phone to Marge after 30 seconds unless you found a way to keep him talking. Granddaughter Shelby holds the record for longest “Grandpa call” by asking him question after question until he couldn’t hang up.

When he wasn’t on the phone, Fred could often be found at The Pad for lunch or enjoying Friday night steakhouse dinners—a reward for a week of hard work. And if you were leaving his company, odds are you’d hear him say his trademark line: “Glad you got to see me.”

In his final months, when speaking was hard, his loved ones returned the phrase to him, sparking that familiar smile. And so we close his story the only way we can:

Fred, we’re all glad we got to see you.

A Celebration of Life for Fred will take place on Friday, August 29, 2025, at Northland Christian Church from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The service will begin with military honors at 10:00 a.m., followed by heartfelt remembrances shared by his family. A come-and-go fellowship will continue until noon, offering time to connect and celebrate Fred’s life together.