Frederick "Fred" Frank Burnett

Frederick Frank Burnett boldly entered his rest on August 4, 2024 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. He was five weeks shy of 87 years of age. Fred had recently become resolute in praying that God would take him home; he was ready for freedom from his long struggle with Parkinson’s disease.

Born on September 10, 1937, in Kingston, New York, Fred was the eldest child of the late Fred and Eva Kouhoupt Burnett. He was a dedicated Boy Scout with Troop 12 at Old Dutch Church, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout and honored with the Order of the Arrow. He served several years as Cubmaster for Kingston’s Pack 19, which was sponsored by the VFW.

After graduating from Kingston High School in 1955, Fred joined the United States Army Reserve. He returned home with basic training completed and began working at IBM, where he remained for most of his working life.

In 1957, Fred married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Elaine Lois Macholdt. Together they made a home and filled it with warmth, joy and love—not to mention seasonal decor for every occasion! Four-legged persons enjoyed the same hospitality as the two-legged ones.

In 1989, Fred and Elaine moved their home from Kingston to Washington state; however, his heart remained securely tethered to the Mid-Hudson Valley. Fred’s connection to his family and friends, both in New York and in Washington state, was essential to his sense of “the good life.”

Fred loved singing, woodworking, gardening, camping, building and fixing things, and making beautiful Christmas ornaments. He was an artist. His hand-carved, hand-painted loon decoys were perhaps the apex of his craftsmanship.

He didn’t talk much but he utilized a surprisingly robust vocabulary for someone who claimed to be intellectually subpar. He was stealthily hilarious. He could be boldly generous. He was as steadfast and loyal as the day is long. He was never effusive but always welcoming. He returned again and again to the rock of his Christian faith.

Fred is survived by his loving wife, Elaine; his children, Scott (Hilary), Jill (Ben), and Craig (Lora); his nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law; and five nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, his siblings Carol, Robert, and Donald, and his nephew Robert, Jr.

A celebration of Fred’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on August 17, 2024, at Newport Covenant Church, 12800 Coal Creek Pkwy SE, Bellevue, WA 98006.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Fred’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, to the ASPCA, or to the charity of your own choosing.