Fred Atwood

Fred was born in Tampa, but moved to Jacksonville in his teens where he attended and graduated from Lee High School in 1944. He enlisted in the Navy along with many friends from his graduating class, fighting in the Pacific until the end of the war. At that point he became part of the occupation force stationed in Tokyo where he grew to love the people he had fought against. After his release from the service, he made Jacksonville his home. There he met and married Pat.

Fred loved sports all of his life and took great joy in coaching baseball and, giving freely of his time, he led local little league all-star teams to three state championships in the early ‘60s. His impact on those young men is felt by each one even today. Their impact on him was profound.

In his later years, Fred provided care to his youngest son who succumbed to MS in 1995 after a prolonged fight. Through it all he was, as he was fond of saying of others, “very much a Gentleman.”

Fred, loving husband and father, is survived by his wife of 63 years, Patricia Mathis Atwood, two surviving sons, Fred E. Atwood, Jr. and his wife Dabney Ware; Richard K. Atwood, his wife Mary and their son and his only grandchild, Chris Atwood, and a host of other relatives and friends. He will be dearly missed by all.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM Saturday, January 29, 2011 at Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home, 4115 Hendricks Avenue. Private family interment will follow. Family will receive friends from 6-8 PM Friday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the American Cancer Society.