FRED R. HALLETT Sr.

HALLETT--Fred R., Sr. died peacefully on the morning of June 2, 2011, after a long and courageous battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The visitation and reception will be held from 10:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Lodi Historical Society Building, 8394 Main Street, Lodi, NY. A memorial service officiated by Pastor Diane Walker, with full military honors will then be held at 1:00pm on Saturday at the Historical Society. Prayers of committal will be held privately at the West Lodi Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation in Fred's memory to: Lodi Historical Society PO Box 279, Lodi Volunteer Fire Company, PO Box 299, Lodi, NY 14860 or the Ovid Federated Church, PO Box 340, Ovid, NY 14521. Fred was born July 15, 1936 in Ludlowville, NY, a son of the late Ulysses S. Grant and Katie L. (Garnsey) Hallett, and at a young age his family moved to Lodi, NY. Upon graduation from South Seneca High School at the age of 16, he took advantage of the opportunity to study at New York University School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance while working full time in the insurance industry. After obtaining his business degree in Accounting, Class of '57, Fred served proudly in the United States Marine Corps and in the Lebanon Crisis of 1958. In 1970 he became President of D.J. Colby Co., Inc. Under his leadership, the company grew into one of the premier insurance underwriting agencies in the nation. He loved the business and continued working until shortly before his passing. In 1992, he returned to the town he loved, Lodi, NY. He referred to the area as "God's Country." He was an active member of the community and was staunchly dedicated to maintaining, restoring and improving the town, where he served as Trustee. He was a strong supporter of the Lodi Volunteer Fire Company and long time advocate of education. He established scholarships for Lodi students looking to go to college, and with the assistance of Jay Dey, a scholarship was founded to support students interested in careers in agriculture. He loved spending time with his family and two dachshunds. He enjoyed meticulously maintaining his property, the beautiful countryside surrounding Seneca Lake, hunting and fishing. He is survived by Joan, his wife of nearly 45 years, five children and their spouses, Joan and John Meagle, Fred and Patricia Hallett, Todd and Liz Hallett, John and Maryl Hallett, and Judd Hallett and Emily Hill and is the beloved grandfather of eight including Colby, John, Kathryn, Freddie, Bridgett, Mack, Arden and Shelter; a brother Bill and Donna Hallett, Fred was preceded in death by his brothers, David Colby and John Hallett. For additional information, please contact Covert Funeral Home at 1-877-828-3411 or visit www.covertfuneralhome.com.