Frederick "Fred" Berling, age 88, of Frisco, Texas passed away Monday, November 23, 2020. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and a pillar of the community.
Fred was born in Covington, KY to Frederick Ignatius Berling and Bertha Antoinette Sandman. "Bud" was the sixth of nine children, with three younger brothers and five older sisters.
At 20 years old, Fred enlisted in the United States Air Force. His service would ultimately result in four service medals: the Korea Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Air Force Good Conduct medal. Technical in nature, Fred enjoyed the mechanics and engineering of aircraft and was trained as a B-29 Flight Engineer.
After being honorably discharged from the Air Force, Fred settled in San Antonio and continued to work in aviation and enjoyed a successful career. He began by earning a FAA Certified Private Pilot license while working at Dee Howard Aviation Company. Then, after 25 years of employment with Braniff Airways, he completed his career in 2001 as the Vice President of Marketing and Maintenance Sales for Associated Air Center at Dallas Love Field. In his almost 50 years in the industry, Fred's accomplishments include flying as lead mechanic with former president Lyndon B. Johnson on a flight to Texas and renovating planes for the Sultan of Brunei and a Saudi Arabian prince. An avid traveler, Fred set foot on six continents during his career and visited countries around the world.
Through his impressive military and work history, it was Fred's wife that he most cherished. During an afternoon outing in 1953 while posted at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, he met Alice at Landa Park and asked her to dance to the country music being played. It was love at first sight. They married three years later once Fred had returned from Okinawa, Japan on his final Air Force orders, and together they had three children: Cheryl, Guy, and Paul. Fred and Alice celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary this past February.
Fred had a renowned ability to fix almost anything with silver duct tape, and he enjoyed spending time outdoors with his family. Many fond evenings and weekends were spent fishing, hunting, camping, riding dirt bikes, and spending time at Lake Texoma with his children and grandchildren. He also enjoyed playing dominoes and cards with friends and family, and he especially liked to play Texas 42, Hand and Foot, and Mexican Train. Despite his calm demeanor and patience, he was known to be quite competitive and a formidable challenger at any of the games he played.
After living in Farmers Branch, TX for 36 years, Fred and Alice moved to Frisco, TX for their retirement, and later to Watermere at Frisco. No matter where he went, Fred found friends, community, and ways to volunteer and give back. He created a Parkinson's support group, was an active Silver Sneakers member, and was a lifelong Catholic who spent many hours volunteering at his church. His generosity, positivity, strength, and humor made him countless friends whom he loved dearly, and his natural leadership earned him the respect of all he met.
Fred is survived by his wife, Alice; daughter, Cheryl Sullivan (Bill); sons, Guy Berling (Brenda) and Paul Berling (Erin); grandchildren, Billy Sullivan, Matthew Sullivan, Brittney Berling, and Connor Berling; great-grandchildren, Audrey Sullivan, Luke Sullivan, and Henry Sullivan. Fred's dedicated genealogy research led to some incredibly detailed work on family trees for both his and Alice's families.
A rosary service will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday December 29, 2020 at Stonebriar Funeral Home, 10375 Preston Road, Frisco, TX 75033, preceded by Military Funeral Honors at 5:00 PM. A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 1pm at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 3990 W University Dr., Prosper, TX 75078. The funeral mass will be available via live stream on the St. Martin de Porres YouTube Channel for those unable to attend. For all in-person guests, masks are mandatory and social distancing is required.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dallas Area Parkinsonism Society (DAPS) in honor of Fred Berling at www.daps.us
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