Frederick C Metcalfe

Frederick C. Metcalfe, 77 of Clearwater Florida passed away on Wednesday October 20, 2010 at Belleair Health Care Center in Clearwater FL. Frederick C. Metcalfe, 77 of Clearwater Florida passed away on Wednesday October 20, 2010 at Belleair Health Care Center in Clearwater FL. A Memorial Mass in thanksgiving for Fred's life will be celebrated on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010 at 10 am at St. Brendan's Church, Dory Passage in Clearwater Beach. Fred passed away gently when he simply said "enough" to the progression of Alzheimer's disease and pneumonia. Always at his side, his wife, Sandy (Sandra Braychak Metcalfe) survives him with his sons Michael of Waterbury, CT and Mark, his wife, Margie and grandsons Robert and David of Bethlehem, CT. Fred was born in Springfield, Mass. His parents, Stephen and Margaret Malloy Metcalfe of Waterbury, predecease him. Prior to our move to Florida, we lived in New Haven, CT in the Wooster Square neighborhood on St. John Street. We took great pride in working to restore Wooster Square Park and participating in the efforts of the Good Government neighborhood activism organization. West coast or east coast of Florida? The Gulf of Mexico, the sheer joy of swimming in the beaches of Indian Rocks and Clearwater seven months a year was the deciding factor. Seventy-degree water temperature? No problem. The north Atlantic readied us for that. We moved to Clearwater Beach in 2002 and eventually made our home in Belleair. Enjoy a few lines about this dear "man's man" who was such a tender hearted guy who to his last days craved the sights and aroma of hunting season in the valleys and fields of Connecticut's Litchfield County. That was difficult to leave. Fred was a life member and officer of the Quinnipiac Game Association in Watertown, CT. He loved to catch sight of one of his sons poised behind an English Setter on perfect point. There was his dog, Rex that could munch on an apple steadied between its paws while the two took a breather before climbing the next hill. Hey, Fred swore to it. Never one to kill game just for the sake of the kill, he could prepare a sautéed breast of pheasant to-die-for. Yes, he was a great "chef". His boys would vouch for that recalling their dad's preparation of Blue fish caught in Long Island Sound. Pounds of Blues were stashed in the home freezer and come summer Sundays; they would chow down Blue fish dinners- Sunday after Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. They loved it. Right Mark? Michael? Fred retired from SNET, now AT&T, in 1985 with 30 years of service. Following several years in sales and marketing assignments throughout Connecticut, he managed major media and special advertising campaigns and finally he managed the company's television studio in New Haven. This facility was recognized as an early progressive leader in the use of television technology for corporate information and employee training among Bell System companies. Long an advocate of "the give-back philosophy", Fred was committed to community support. In the late 1960's, and early 1970's, he served as president of the Middlebury, CT school board and was the first Pomperaug Regional School District #15 school board chairman. He was frequently referred to as "the father of Region 15". In New Haven he served as president of the New Haven County Advertising Club and headed a division of the Greater New Haven United Way in several fund raising drives. He was commissioned by Gov. Ella Grasso to serve as a director of the Municipal Police Training Council in Meriden. He was a consultant to the Board of Education of the City of New York. In retirement he served as a landscape coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of New Haven, Inc. home reconstructions in the Newhallville neighborhood. Fred was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Reserves. He was graduated in 1955 from Providence College (RI) and received a master's degree in education from Western Connecticut State University in 1971. For those who wish to commemorate Fred, please consider a contribution in his name to a favored charity. A suggestion: Alzheimer's Association, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, 140010 Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 709, Clearwater, FL 33762.