Frederick Bernard Thielen Jr.

Fred was born July 7, 1937, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Frederick Bernard Thielen Sr. and Marcella Ruff Thielen. A fifth-generation Minneapolis resident, Fred enjoyed a childhood filled with sports, fishing, boating, and summers at the lakes of northern Minnesota with his family and younger sister, Maryanne.

Fred attended St. John’s Preparatory School in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he was a third-generation graduate and an accomplished basketball player. During his senior year, his team won its regional championship and finished third in the Minnesota state high school basketball tournament. He graduated in 1955.

He subsequently attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he joined the Wildcats basketball practice squad and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting, in 1959.

Fred began his professional career in banking, first with Southern Arizona Bank and later with the Bank of Tucson and Great Western Bank. His career eventually brought him to Phoenix, where he joined Eaton International, a real estate development company, in 1977 and served as Managing Vice President.

In 1984, Fred and his family moved temporarily to Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where he helped oversee the transition of a major resort development. Those two years, filled with skiing, fishing, tennis, and family adventures, became some of the family’s most cherished memories.

Returning to Arizona in 1986, Fred joined Markland Properties and played an important role in establishing the community association structure for Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale. He later served as the first Executive Director of the Gainey Ranch Community Association until his retirement in 2009.

While living in Tucson, Fred met the love of his life, Brenda M. DesChamps. They married on July 30, 1966, in Midland, Ontario, Canada, and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in July 2026.

Together, Fred and Brenda raised three children—Marybeth, Gregory, and Jon—primarily in Phoenix’s Moon Valley neighborhood, where their home along the fifth hole of Moon Valley Country Club became the setting for decades of family memories.

Fred was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who took tremendous pride in his family and home. An avid sports fan and lifelong athlete, he enjoyed basketball, racquetball, tennis, water skiing, fishing, and almost any game that involved a little competition. His remarkable ability with numbers earned him the nickname “Fast Freddie,” while his adventurous family driving and playful sense of humor inspired the nickname “Chevy.”

When his first granddaughter, Taylor, was born in 1995, Fred was overcome with emotion. Upon arriving at the hospital and discovering she was already there, he sat down beside his daughter Marybeth in tears, saying, “I just can’t believe I’m a grandfather!” With the arrival of his grandchildren, he became “Papa Gump,” a name that reflected his love of laughter, corny jokes, silly faces, and making those around him smile.

Fred was also a man of deep and enduring Catholic faith. A founding member of St. Paul’s parish in Phoenix, he was actively involved in parish life, serving as a lector, usher, and member of the men’s group. His wife Brenda described him simply as “a prayerful person,” a quality that remained central to his life until his final days.

Fred is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Brenda; his daughter Marybeth Touchton and her husband, Terry; his son Gregory Thielen and his wife, Kristen; and his son Jon Thielen and his wife, Kathy. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren, Taylor Touchton, Hannah Touchton, Noah Frederick Thielen, Michaela Thielen, Laine Thielen, Sam Thielen, Wes Thielen, and Chloe Thielen; and his sister, Maryanne.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick Bernard Thielen Sr. and Marcella Ruff Thielen.

In 2020, Fred and Brenda moved from their longtime Moon Valley home to Freedom Plaza in Peoria, Arizona, where Fred spent his remaining years.

Fred will be remembered for his unwavering faith, devotion to family, tireless work ethic, quick mind, competitive spirit, and wonderful sense of humor. His legacy lives on in the family he loved, the communities he helped build, and the countless memories he created along the way.

A private family service will be held to celebrate Fred’s life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made in Fred’s memory to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.