Frederic Albert Brossy Jr.

Frederic A. Brossy Jr., longtime resident of Honolulu, passed away peacefully at home at the age of ninety-six and eleven months. He was surrounded by his loving family including all four of his children.

Fred was born March 29, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan to Frederic A. Brossy and Elizabeth Higman Brossy. His father, an early Naval aviator, moved the family to the West Coast in 1934. Fred attended the rustic Midland School in Los Olivos, California and although he ran away prior to graduating, the values he learned there helped shape the gentleman he became. He left Midland to join the United States Marine Corps. While he was initially turned away for being underage, he did eventually serve in the Marines for three years.

After his service, Fred enrolled in Claremont Menʻs College in Southern California, where he met the love of his life, Frances Ann Kay. Franny, who had grown up in Hawai’i, was attending nearby Scripps College. They were married on December 22nd 1951 in Los Angeles, and settled in Southern California where they raised four children: Fred III, Julie, Peter, and Roger. 

After working in business and attending night school to earn a Masters in Marketing, Fred shed his suit and tie to realize his lifelong dream of becoming a cattle rancher. In 1972, Fred and Fran unconventionally uprooted their suburban life and moved the whole family to the Cove Ranch in Southern Idaho’s Wood River Valley. Both Fred and Fran threw themselves whole-heartedly into ranching. Fred loved running cattle and growing alfalfa, while Fran launched herself into vegetable gardening, canning, 4H and caring for a dairy cow named Buttercup. This move would change and shape the course of their children’s lives.

In 1977, Fred announced that it was Franny’s “turn”, and they returned to her childhood home in Honolulu, Hawai’i, which brought her great joy. Ever the adventurer and learner, Fred obtained a pilot’s license, became a blacksmith, attended law school in his 60’s and worked in the restoration department of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. He was a lifetime bird hunter and an accomplished skeet shooter at the Koko Head Skeet field. He and Franny built homes around Oʻahu and in the Philippines for Habitat for Humanity. They enjoyed travel, and visited all the continents, except Antarctica. Staying true to his life-long love of agriculture, he tracked and recorded the daily rainfall in ‘Ālewa Heights for over 40 years.

He loved to create opportunities and adventures for his family including boating, camping, hunting, skiing, and flying. He was creatively generous and always inclusive. He painstakingly handcrafted dozens of gifts for his children and grandchildren, and organized treasure hunts for his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He took loving care of his wife for many years during her decades-long long struggle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. 

Fred was known for his gracious and generous ways, and was considered the quintessential gentleman by everyone who knew him. Rarely was a lady ever without a ginger lei if Fred was entertaining; he always walked you to your car, and was quickest on the draw to pick up the tab. His mischievous smile and twinkling blue eyes charmed all around him. Fred was the very model of a loving and committed brother, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Fred was preceded in death by his loving wife Franny, his parents, his sisters, Betty Lou Ahlman and Susan Crosier, his brother in-law Alan Kay, sister in law Dianne Kay and daughter-in-law Judy Brossy.

He is survived by his children: Freddie, Julie, Peter (Mariana Kahn) and Roger Brossy (Rona Elliot), by grandchildren: Cooper Brossy (Ahnna Westrich-Brossy), Jackson Brossy (Katie Brossy), Peterson Brossy, Stacy Brossy, Max Brossy (Rebecca Sachs- Brossy), Katie Aragon, Robert Aragon, Cosmo and Raul Brossy; by great grandchildren: Evan Brossy, Fiona Brossy, Tamzen Brossy and Jacob Brossy; and by brother-in-law Thomas Kay and sister-in-law, Patricia Kay as well as many many nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Fred’s life to be held this summer, details to be announced.