Frederick Louis Wilhelm Jr.

Fred attended high school in Glendale, California, later graduating from Cal State Los Angeles with a degree in English/Journalism and a minor in American History. He was a Civil War scholar and interested in presidents and politics. While in college, he worked at a pottery factory in Los Angeles and as a security attendant at the original Bob’s Big Boy restaurant in Glendale.

After college, he taught at a middle school in Glendale, before moving on to teach English and Journalism at Rosemead High School. He met his wife, Margaret, while they both worked at RHS. He became stepfather to Debbie and Alan when he and Margaret married. He went to night school to obtain his master’s degree and was also head of the English department at Rosemead. He became an expert on Shakespeare during the course of his study and thesis.

With the advanced degree came the opportunity to move up to a position teaching Journalism at Palomar College in San Marcos and the family moved to Leucadia, now Encinitas. Fred retired after some 30 years at Palomar College.

In retirement, Fred decided he didn’t want to invest his money in “boring” bank accounts. Instead he became an acknowledged expert on antique toys, specializing in Disney and toy soldiers, and he and Margaret travelled around Southern California to various antique toy events to buy and sell.

Fred loved newspapers, books and libraries. He was a 60 year subscriber to the Los Angeles Times and read the paper every day, cover to cover. He was also a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and was thrilled when the Cubs won the World Series for the first time in his lifetime.