Frederick C. Yoder

Fred C. Yoder, age 56, of Firestone, Colorado, passed away peacefully at home just as the sun rose fully on Saturday, April 22, 2017. Fred chose Earth Day as the perfect time to go home after a long battle against cancer. Fred was born September 26, 1960, in Lansing, Michigan to Bill and Maggie (McNamara) Yoder.

Fred had a wide and varied set of interests and an indomitable spirit. He had a thirst for knowledge and a drive for being helpful. His passions included sailing, scuba diving, blacksmithing, history, world religions, hiking, gemology, lapidary work, animals, brewing, shooting sports, motorcycles,world travel, world music, and the environment.

Fred grew up in Michigan and in Florida. As a child he was often to be found in an arbor at his grandmother’s home reading peacefully. He was also active with sailing and all the outdoor activity available to a young man in Florida. He traveled with his family to Europe and had wonderful memories of his time in Germany and England from his childhood and, later, memories of Ireland from a trip with his mother.

Near the age of 19, Fred decided that he did not want to live a life with regrets. He was driving by a mall opening in Florida, where he was living, and saw an advertisement for the opportunity to wrestle a bear. He drove on but started thinking about the ‘what if’ of that opportunity. He drove back to the mall and got in that line. He said that he heard the trainer talking about the bear’s penchant for taking leg sweeps but figured it would just swat at them. The match began and in less than 5 seconds the bear had him down. He limped out and was unable to move the next day but he never regretted it for a minute!

Shortly after that he took the opportunity to move to Barbados and practiced salvage diving and being a bit of a beach bum. He loved learning about the cultures of different countries and especially the foods and spiritual practices of the people. When he was back in Florida, he could often be found in the Cuban area of Miami experiencing the culture and, of course, the coffee!

He eventually made his way to the Midwest and spent time in different trades in Kansas and then in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he met his future wife in 1984. While in Nebraska, Fred was active in the metaphysical and alternative spirituality community, teaching classes and guiding people in their spiritual search. Fred spent time working the psychic fair circuit and creating jewelry. He also worked at a community college and volunteered with KZUM community radio.

At the age of 34, Fred decided to go back to college, a decision which would bring him to Colorado, close to his beloved mountains. While in college, Fred met his best friend, Chris, and together they explored the western slope and learned about spelunking and rappelling, and began to learn about shooting sports. Fred completed a bachelors degree in Environmental Restoration and Waste Management at Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) in 1999. Fred’s passion was in Constructed Wetlands to help remediate acid mine drainage. He worked at the Department of Energy facility in Grand Junction, Colorado for a while before getting the job he loved most in his life in Boulder Colorado.

Fred worked for the City of Boulder at the Wastewater Treatment Facility as an Environmental Specialist and then as a Pretreatment Inspector for 15 years. He loved the opportunities to visit different facilities and to be helpful to industries and small businesses in making their environmental practices the best they could be.

Fred and his (still future) wife moved to Longmont in February of 2003, just months before Fred was first diagnosed with cancer. They struggled together through the first year of surgery and treatment. Fred was also helped to recover by the cat that had claimed him, Sophie. Sophie would lay on him after a chemo treatment and insist that he rest and relax.

After getting a clean bill of health, Fred began doing more hiking and camping. Fred would attend conferences which also afforded opportunities for outdoor experiences. His trips would often result in educational videos of the areas he visited, which he called “Keeping things in perspective”.

Fred continued in good health for 10 years, purchasing a house with his (still future) wife, and moving to Firestone, CO in 2012, but was diagnosed with a return of the cancer in 2013. He stoically endured four years of treatment and declining health and physical ability. But his mind was still sharp and he continued working at the place he loved and with the best co-workers he could have asked for until December 2016. Through it all, he never gave up.

Fred and Janet finally got married on October 31, 2016, fulfilling a long-term agreement that if they ever did marry, it would be on Halloween. During the last few months of his life, Fred enjoyed the visits from friends, his interactions with friends and family on social media, listening to music he enjoyed on Youtube, and the opportunity to get to know his niece. He reveled in the details of a trip his brother and niece made to Iceland and was so happy to hear the adventures they had.

Fred fought bravely and chose a perfect time to let go of this world. It was a beautiful morning and he let go just as the most important song to he and his wife ended on a playlist. Fred was attended by his wife, and comforted through the process by his cat, Sophie, again.

Fred leaves behind many people who loved him deeply and who will celebrate his life and memory, including his devoted wife Janet, and three stepchildren, Lythande Tucker of Nashville, TN; Brom Tucker of Firestone, CO; and Raven Tucker of Windsor, CO; his mother Maggie Yoder of Titusville, FL; his brother Brad, of Charlottesville, VA; and three nieces (Amanda, Rachel, and Kaleen) and a nephew (Eric) and one great nephew; his sister Tory Yoder, also of Florida. As well as many others who thought of him as a brother, father figure, friend, and mentor. Fred was preceded into the Summerlands by his beloved grandmother, Francis Graham and his father, Bill Yoder.

A Celebration of Life will be held 2pm, Friday, May 5, 2017 at Howe Mortuary Chapel. A reception gathering will take place in the Howe Event Room immediately following the ceremony.