Fred Franklin Brehmer

Fred Franklin Brehmer, age 89, of Gilbert, AZ passed away on Sunday, January 7, 2024. He is survived by his children Amy and Steve; daughter-in-law Jennifer; son-in-law Nate; five grandchildren Jameson, Kaitlynn, Madison, Harper and Declan; sister Marilynn; and numerous other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by his wife Joyce, parents Lucy and Fred; and his sisters Ellie and Dolly.

Fred was born on March 28, 1934 in Milwaukee, WI. He graduated Custer High School in 1952 and went on to Marquette University before graduating in 1956. In 1960, Fred met his future life partner, Joyce Meyer, and their first date also happened to be the same day that Fred started with the Internal Revenue Service. Married on December 30, 1961, Fred and Joyce relocated to Tacoma, WA as Fred began his military service stationed at Fort Lewis. After completion of Fred’s service, the couple returned to Milwaukee in October of 1962 and Fred returned to his job with the IRS.

Joyce and Fred started a family in the fall of 1969 with the addition of their daughter, Amy, and then in 1973 welcomed their second child, Steve. Living in Fox Point, Fred wore many titles: husband, dad, brother, son, and coach. Fred dedicated countless hours to coaching basketball, baseball, and soccer. When not on the sideline coaching, Fred was sitting in the bleachers supporting his children and their friends during gymnastics competitions, swimming meets, or other activities. Fred’s coaching wasn’t limited to athletics, as he led by example and displayed the skills to be successful at navigating through daily life with hard work, dedication, and a focus on his family and caring for others. As a man of strong faith, Fred donated many hours to his church serving on the council, ushering, and counting money.

After his retirement from the Internal Revenue Service, Fred and Joyce left the cold of Wisconsin and headed to Sun City West, Arizona where they fully enjoyed their last 22 years together. Fred spent his time golfing, taking continuing education classes, attending the theater and sporting events, serving on the church council, and enjoying his grandchildren. As a big Brewer fan, Fred thoroughly enjoyed Spring Training and would be excited to host visitors as they traveled to AZ to attend games. Traveling was also a big part of Fred and Joyce’s life as they loved to drive near and far. Whether it was day trips to Maricopa, or longer road trips to Las Vegas, San Diego, Denver or Milwaukee; they loved the open road and the experiences of exploring new places along the way.

After moving to Gilbert, AZ, Fred embarked on a new journey which allowed him to experience new things, fine tune his bingo skills, and share his kindness and friendship with a whole new group of people. Living every day to the fullest with positivity and joy, Fred left a lasting impression on everyone who was lucky enough to have him in their lives. Whether as a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, or friend, Fred will forever be in our hearts and minds and will be missed deeply.