Frederick John Frechette

How do you write the story of one of the people you have loved the most? You sit on the shores of the lake that gave you the happiest memories of your childhood. I have sat in reflection and tears thinking about my Dad. I’ve invited grief to sit with me while I tell his story, for the sadness that I feel is from the love that he gave.

Dad, or known to most as Freddy, was born to Lois and Robert Frechette on February 3, 1950, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Frechettes moved to Atlanta when he was five. Over the next several years the family grew to a party of 10. Dad, being the oldest, had 3 sisters and 4 brothers. If you haven’t figured it out yet, the Frechettes were devout Catholics. Freddy attended Marist School, a boys military Catholic school. He was a great athlete, an okay student, and a friend to most. The school instilled faith, work ethic, regimen, and an innate ability to create friendships. During his junior year he met my mother, Gayle, who attended Cross Keys in Brookhaven. His first and only love, they would later marry on May 6, 1972. After high school, Dad attended the University of Georgia, where, as he liked to say, he was invited to leave after his first year. It appeared that education had taken a back seat to his social life. He would later finish his business degree at Georgia State University.

His career. Dad worked his way through school. He was a man who was never afraid to get his hands dirty. Early on he was a framer and a lineman before working in the concrete industry. It was here he met a builder and mentor, who saw a need in residential construction. More importantly, he saw the man that could fulfill it. At that time concrete pump trucks were only used on commercial jobsites and the topography of greater Atlanta created challenges for pouring concrete on homesites. SouthCon Pumping was created in 1985 to facilitate the need for residential pumping. Through hard work and relationships SouthCon grew into a successful business. In 1999, Dad would sell the business to a larger outfit.

He gave us so much love, so many experiences and opportunities. We moved to Cumming, Georgia into a house that he built on Lake Lanier when my sister Emily was 3 and I was 1. We spent countless days on that lake. If not on the lake, we were in the North Georgia mountains or the Florida Gulf. He established a deep love for nature, he loved to travel, and we have so many incredible memories from the trips we took.

A husband and a father. He respected and loved my mother unconditionally. He wrote her the sweetest cards and was always excited to give her gifts. By example, he taught us what marriage was. As a father, he was second to none. Emily was Daddy’s little girl ‘til the end. As hard as he worked, I cannot recall one of my games he missed. He was always looking for opportunities to set us up for success. And when there was hard news to deliver, he always had a soft, comforting way to deliver it.

Retirement was spent with Mom traveling the world, Emily and I joining when we could. During these years a new obsession was born - grandchildren. My niece, Isabelle, was first. He cherished and raised her like a daughter. My son, Parks, came years later. Through a looking glass, I watched him play with him as if it were me as a child. He gave them the same unconditional love that he had given us.

To sum up my Dad in one word is to say Love. The love he gave to Grandma, Granddad and my aunts and uncles. The love he gave my Mom. The love he gave my sister and I (and of course my wife, Celeste.) The love he gave his grandchildren. The love he gave to his friendships. Even the love he gave to a perfect stranger. It was so special to bear witness to and be on the receiving end of it.

And though his later years were unfair with his decline in both physical and mental health, his love never faltered. To say Heaven gained an angel is a coarse understatement. God, we’ve given you the best we got. Show him the love, comfort and peace he gave us. I love you, Dad.

He is survived by his wife Gayle Frechette, his daughter Emily Gilliam, me (his son, David) and daughter-in-law Celeste Frechette, his grandchildren Isabelle and Parks, his brothers Mark (sister-in-law Charlene), Andy (sister-in-law Melanie), and Paul (sister-in-law Adela), his sisters Mary, Lisa, and Ann (brother-in-law Scott), and many beloved extended family members. He was preceded in death by his mother Lois Geiger Frechette, his father Robert Alfred Frechette, his brother Robert Alfred Frechette Jr., and his sister-in-law Sandra Nix Frechette.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, July 17, 2026, at South Forsyth Memorial Chapel, 3545 Peachtree Parkway, Suwanee, GA 30024. Visitation will be 11:00AM-1:00PM. Celebration of Life will begin at 1:00PM. In the spirit of generosity that our Freddy always showed others, in lieu of flowers, we ask that you please donate or give to someone in need or a cause close to your heart, in his honor.

“It is in giving that we receive.” – St. Francis of Assisi