Dr. Frederic Labbé

Fred Labbé was passionate about politics and his adopted country of the U.S., old vine wines and gourmet dishes, classic cars and orchids, Mayan history and mechanical ingenuities. The Labbé family is sad to announce the loss of their husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather, on September 2, 2011 in his native Guatemala City, Guatemala, after a serious fall. Fred was born November 21, 1938. He graduated from medical school in Guatemala and became a U.S. Board certified Orthopedic Surgeon after graduating from the San Francisco Combined Program for Orthopedic Residency in 1968. He was a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and an honorary member of the Western Orthopedic Association. The family lived in Guatemala from 1968 to 1980 where he was in private practice and chief of the Orthopedic Department at the large public hospital in Guatemala City. They returned to California in 1980 where he built a successful private practice. Fred was active in the collection of medical supplies for Central and South American public health hospitals. Never one to fully retire, he recently worked as a Qualified Medical Examiner in Orthopedics in the Bay area. He is survived by Louanne, his wife of 44 years, his three sons, Frederic, André and Tony, daughter-in-law Caroline and grandsons, Christian and Luc, plus family in Guatemala, all of whom will miss his love, companionship, and larger-than-life personality. A wake was held in Guatemala City September 3, and funeral service conducted at graveside at Las Flores Cemetery in Guatemala City the following day. Friends are invited to an open house at the family home in Oakmont, Saturday, September 24 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Fred immersed himself in viticulture and wine making while living in Sonoma County and would have wanted his friends to remember him with a glass of wine, camaraderie, and good cheer. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Antigua, Guatemala Volunteer Ambulance with a check payable to Louanne Labbé AGVA and mailed to Sonoma Bank, 6641 Oakmont Dr., Santa Rosa, CA 95409.