Frederick Gerald Strang, 89, was born March 12, 1937, in Crawford County, Wisconsin, and passed away Monday, October 19, 2026 in Harmony, North Carolina. Born to the late Francis Strang and Tressa Vivian Hall Strang, Frederick carried with him the steady values of home—showing up, pitching in, and doing what needed to be done, day after day.
A proud veteran, Frederick retired as an E-6 (PO1) from the United States Navy. True to his hard-working nature, he continued on to a second retirement from Mitchell Community College, where he served as a Groundskeeper—quietly keeping things in order, taking pride in the work, and never being one to sit still for long. Even after retirement, he kept working, because that was simply who he was.
Frederick shared 60 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Margie Benge Strang of Harmony, North Carolina, who survives him. He is also survived by his daughter, Idoma Barton (Chris) of Troutman, North Carolina; his son, Walter Gerald Strang (Brandie) of Hamptonville, North Carolina; and his grandchildren, Jonathan Brooks, Byron Strang, Kayla Cortes, Harley Stewart, and Kristen Strang, along with eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his son, Harvey Strang; his brothers, Joseph Strang (Carol) and James Strang; and his sister, Eva Jeffers.
Frederick’s love for family showed up in the stands and on the sidelines, faithfully attending his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events. He was a devoted fan of the Green Bay Packers, the Carolina Tarheels, and the Atlanta Braves, and he found simple, familiar joys in working on cars, watching TV westerns, and enjoying a good chocolate milkshake. Some of the most meaningful moments were the family trips back to Wisconsin—returning to the place where his story began and where so many of his roots remained.
And in a line that family will never forget—or at least the one that captured him perfectly—was: “Everybody shut up so I can watch TV!”
The family will receive friends at Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home in Statesville on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. A graveside service with military honors will follow at Iredell Memorial Gardens at 2:00 pm. Pastor Randall Millsaps will officiate.
Pallbearers will be Luis Cortes, Jonathan Brooks, Byron Strang, Chris Barton, Brian Brooks, and Lucas Walker.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, District of Columbia 20090-6011, or online at https://www.alz.org/.
Messages of sympathy and words of condolences may be shared with the family online at www.bunchjohnsonfuneralhome.com
Bunch-Johnson Funeral Home of Statesville is honored to be entrusted with the care of Mr. Strang and his family.
