Fredrick Wayne Pender

Fredrick Wayne Pender

June 11, 1945 – February 19, 2026

Fredrick Wayne Pender, 80, of Birmingham, Alabama, passed away on February 19, 2026 surrounded by his loving family.

Born on June 11, 1945, to Carlos Alton Pender and Edna Mae Whitfield, the fourth born of their five children. Wayne was raised in Wylam , Alabama and attended Ensley High School, the University of West Alabama (Livingston State), UAB, and The University of Alabama. He lived a life defined by consistency, strength, and steadfast devotion to his family.

Wayne shared 60 devoted years of marriage with the love of his life, Judith Ann Jefferson Pender. Having met as children in their hometown of Wylam, Alabama, their marriage was rooted in endurance, loyalty, and faith and they built their life around these principles.

Wayne loved his work and took pride in honest labor. He found purpose and joy in his profession and loved to do the work himself, finding satisfaction in progress and standing back and seeing something done right.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Judith Ann Pender; his children, Richard Wayne Pender, Meredith Ann Ledford, and Jefferson Caleb Pender; his daughters-in-law, Sherri Rae Cook Pender and Aleisha Diane Abeyta; his grandchildren, Jacob Christian Pender, Kathryn Elizabeth Ledford, Jessie Elizabeth Pender Franklin, and William Jonathan Ledford and their spouses, Nathan Gregory Franklin, Caitlyn DeAnne Smith Pender, and Eddie Michael Crouch; and his great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Jo Pender, Elora Rae Franklin, Emma Joy Pender, and Elijah Evan Franklin.

Wayne’s legacy lives on in the generations that follow him — in their resilience, their character, their faith, and their commitment to family. He will be remembered in fondness, missed deeply, and loved always.

Graveside service will be Saturday, February 28, 2026, in Patterson Forest Grove Memorial Gardens at 12:00 PM. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Wayne’s favorite charity Saint Jude’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).