George Frederic “Ric” Fenton, Jr.

George Frederic “Ric” Fenton, Jr was born in the Panama Canal Zone on June 6, 1947, to George F. Fenton, Sr and Ila Ellen Lee Fenton. His father’s job with the Federal Highway Administration caused the family to move eight times all over the country during his childhood.

Ric’s favorite of these places was West Virginia, where he chose to attend West Virginia University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in music in 1970 and a Masters in Public Administration in 1972. During his time at WVU his interests were many, including serving on the Interfraternity council for Lambda Chi Alpha and the program committee for the student government. This position allowed him the opportunity to meet and host such celebrities as Diana Ross, Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass. He served as assistant coach for the WVU Varsity tennis team and as a night watchman for a girls’ dormitory.

An accomplished musician on his beloved French horn, Ric was in the famous WVU Marching Band for four years, and was Third Horn for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra during his college years.

After college, Ric worked for Allegheny Airlines as assistant to the president from 1972-1973 and then as a Senior staff member for the Energy and Transportation Committee during the years 1973-1984 for West Virginia Senator Jennings Randolph and Texas Senator Lloyd Benson. During this time he met and married his beloved wife of 50 years, Kathleen Ann Fenton (Bloch), after a brief courtship in which he wowed her with his snazzy white suit and dazzling singing voice. In 1979 they welcomed daughter Alyssa, and in 1982, daughter Meaghen.

Ric continued to work in Washington for the rest of his career, moving to the American Mining Congress as Assistant to the President, VP of Government Affairs from 1984-1988; the National Mining Association as VP of Congressional Affairs from 1988-2006;  and The Klein and Saks Group as Senior Advisor from 2007-2009. After retiring, Ric continued to contribute greatly to the industry as the Federal Affairs consultant for Alpha Natural Resources from 2010-2012.

Not one to be idle, once he officially retired from the DC scene, Ric worked for a friend, Dr. Ronald Buro, doing insurance paperwork and as a sales rep for SouperGirl, traveling to area grocery stores to meet people and introduce them to excellent soup options, which he greatly enjoyed.

Ric had many hobbies throughout his life. His early tennis skills evolved into playing racquetball, squash, and later pickleball as it emerged.

Not a fan of the big golf courses, Ric was an accomplished miniature golfer, including an annual all day marathon at the beach each year with his eldest daughter.

He never lost his passion for music, constantly singing at home and filling the house with music on his top of the line stereo, inspiring a deep love of music in both of his girls and supporting them as they discovered instruments of their own. After retirement, he sang in an all men’s barbershop choir for a while, and recommitted himself to his beloved French Horn, often practicing two or more hours a day.

Everyone who knows Ric knows that he loved Christmas, which was dubbed by his friends to be “Ricmas” as it was a several month event from the day after thanksgiving until late February every year. Absolutely magical for his children, and showcasing the thoughtful, creative and often outrageous gift giver that he was, Christmas included such things as a trip to acquire a real tree, decorating said tree with quite literally hundreds of Hallmark Christmas ornaments from his beloved collection, a tastefully decorated yard, and weeks of Christmas music on the stereo.

Although Ric didn’t grow up in Pittsburgh, he was a very very passionate Steeler’s fan as well as all the other Pittsburgh teams. One can only gaze with awe at the memorabilia throughout the house especially the loaded bookcase near his favorite leather recliner!

He remained active in the arts through shows at George Mason University, The Kennedy Center, local venues, and trips to Broadway in NYC and Richmond with his girls.

He loved to travel with Kathy to NYC, Connecticut, and Richmond VA to continue to be a constant presence in his daughter’s lives.

Throughout his life, Ric remained generous and giving, always willing to help a friend in need. He enjoyed food, always knew the best restaurants, and instilled his giving spirit into his family, always tipping generously and remembering and using the names of the wait staff.

Ric had an infectious smile that he shared with abundance, and he brought joy to many people during his time on earth. A life truly lived to its fullest, but not nearly long enough.

Ric is survived, and deeply missed, by his wife, Kathy, daughters, Alyssa Fenton (John) and Meaghen Neumann (Douglas), grandchildren, Dean and Ila Neumann, and many many grand dogs. He is also missed by his sisters, Ellen Lee Rupert (Larry), Kathy Marie Kronau (Roger), numerous nieces and nephews, extended family members, and so very many friends.

A memorial service to honor and celebrate his life will be held:

August 2, 2025

2pm

St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel

4515 Roberts Rd

Fairfax, VA 22032

We invite all who knew and loved him to join us in remembering the remarkable man that he was. A reception will immediately follow the service downstairs in the Chapel hall.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to The College of Creative Arts and Media at West Virginia University to support students pursuing careers in music.

https://give.wvu.edu/give/430679/#!/donation/checkout

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