Frederic Skelton La Croix

Frederic Skelton La Croix, age 93, of Des Moines, Iowa, passed away peacefully on January 20th, 2026.

Frederic was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Frederic W. La Croix and Mabel Ferguson La Croix. He was a graduate of the College of William & Mary and earned his Masters of Library Science from the University of North Carolina. He spent much of his life devoted to learning and service, working for many years as a college librarian, teaching English as a Second Language, volunteering with the American Friends Service Committee, the Heritage Gallery, the Center for Energy and Self-Reliance, the Homeless Coalition, and various other community organizations.

Frederic was an involved member of the First Unitarian Church for 50 years, participating in many church activities, including leading a long-standing discussion group on current events.

He loved to travel, and the family took long road trips to the East Coast each summer. He particularly loved visiting national parks, zoos, state fairs, and festivals.

He had a keen interest in genealogy and spent many years traveling around the country researching family history, documenting his Mayflower lineage and other ancestry. He was a member of the Wisconsin Society of Mayflower Descendants and actively participated as a member of the Scottish Heritage Society of Iowa.

Frederic was an avid runner for many years, completing numerous marathons, and participating in community road races like the Windsor Heights Annual Mini-Marathon, Dam to Dam, and the Governor's Cup events. He also enjoyed regular workouts at the downtown Des Moines YMCA well into his 80s. Later in life, he loved playing bean bag baseball with his friends at Grand Suites.

He is survived by his daughters, Rachel La Croix (Tim Nickel), Evelyn La Croix, Sylvia La Croix Cares (Tim Cares), and granddaughters, Madeleine and Hannah Cares.

He was preceded in death by many dear friends and his beloved family members, including wife of 52 years, Louise L. La Croix; his brother, Edward La Croix; his father, Frederic W. La Croix ; and his mother, Mabel Ferguson La Croix.

A service to celebrate Frederic's life will be held at the First Unitarian Church in Des Moines, on Monday, January 26th at 2pm.

Contributions in Frederic's memory may be made to the ACLU of Iowa or the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.

Arrangements by Iles Dunns Chapel

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