Frederic Michael Haas

1934 - 2022

HAAS

FREDERIC MICHAEL HAAS

Frederic Michael Haas, born October 12, 1934 in Detroit, Michigan, passed away peacefully on September 12, 2022 at Gilchrist hospice in Towson, Maryland. Fred earned his Master's Degree from the University of Detroit and spent his four-decade career at the U.S. Department of Labor. He is survived by his five children, nine grandchildren, and one great grandson. His wife of 57 years, Kathleen, passed away in 2019.

Those who knew him best called him Opa and Sirly. We knew him as an incredible card player, a generous bacon and egg maker, an unsolicited German speaker, and a human GPS. Before smart phones, he would stop whatever he was doing to guide you home from memory or thanks to his collection of well-worn maps.

He loved chocolate milk and Lipton noodle soup with extra rice. He cut his lawn with a push mower for years and built part of his house around his day job, including digging the foundation by hand. He was a fun dad and grandad who joined in ping pong competitions well into his 70s. As the decades changed, you could trust his mustache and bathing suit never would.

He was famously impervious to cold and could retrieve the newspaper in the snow wearing slippers without flinching. He was a tireless homework assistant and an enthusiastic cribbage player until his final months. He could fix anything on a car or house (although never a boat) and his Thanksgiving pies remain unrivaled. He loved to garden, decorate a Christmas tree, and read Sherlock Holmes and Treasure Island. Hockey was a passion from his high school days, when he played himself. He was equal parts Red Wings and Capitals fan.

He will be remembered as a loving father, grandfather and great grandfather who taught by example that even small choices matter to your character, that politics are important, and that you should do something you love with your life – not just for a paycheck.

Services private. Those wishing to send flowers in remembrance are instead requested to please consider a donation to Gilchrist Center Towson.