Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

I'm sorry to have to report that Fred, our local forum "Hero" and avid supporter of us all, has passed away tonight at 6:45pm eastern time.  He was 90.  He had a fall about 6 weeks ago in early June that fractured his pelvis and despite attempts at rehab, it was more than his body could endure.

Fred has been an inspiration to many and like a father to me for nearly 25 years.

May he rest in peace as he joins his wife of 63 years, Marilyn who passed several years earlier.

We will miss you, my friend!

Mike

Sad beyond words. Sad beyond words.

When I first became a user of Qimage back in 2016-17, several times Fred would lead me out of the scary dark forest into the lighted meadow.  Always with a sense of humor, and of course patience.  He was always available for the occasional PM, again with patience, and of course his extensive knowledge of, and familiarity with, Qimage.  I don't know why, but I expected Fred to always be there, so this is stunning and heartbreaking news.

No question, he will be missed.

I always enjoyed reading Fred's kindly, patient and informed replies on here. He will be missed indeed. My condolences to his family and friends,

God speed Fred and rest in peace.

Gerry

Very sad news.  I feel I have lost a true friend who was always there to assist with any problem with humour and understanding.

At the end of May I had a new knee fitted and on return feared the worst when Fred was missing from the forum.  Terry Mann kept informed.

His videos were a master of clarity and humour and along with Mikes the best on the net.

He will be sorely missed

Grumpy Jeff  :(

I was aware that Fred was nearing the end of his life just over a month ago when I asked Mike about him. It is very sad news for myself and many others.
I think it was 2005 when I started using Qimage and right from the beginning Fred was very helplful. Later on we were definitely 'online' friends when we used Skype for video chats on a regular basis where we not only talked about photography but our families and other activities. I think the last online chat we had was within the last 2 years and have exchanged emails in the last 2 months. I still have some of his photos that he shared with me.
We'll miss him on the forum but I do have good memories of him.
Terry

I'm extremely sorry to hear that. He helped me on many, many occasions.

That's Fred: always there when anyone needed him.  He helped me with beta testing, shared ideas and offered support (both work and life).  I've known him for 25 years and his personality would just draw you in.

His wife passed away a few years ago and since that time, every morning at exactly 8:30am I would call him for the morning pow-wow talking about movies, books, photography, and down to what we had for dinner the previous day.  I had the routine down so that I dial the last digit at 8:29:58 so his phone would ring at exactly 8:30.  If I was even a second late, he'd answer with "you're late" since he'd be watching the seconds on his atomic watch (which was a birthday present from me years ago).   :)  Up until his fall, it was clear that each day was getting more difficult for him living alone at 90, struggling more with chores and just getting around.  My last call to him was on June 11.  He had his fall on June 12 and called me from the hospital that morning.  At that point it was hard to get him on the phone so I'd show up in his room wherever he was (hospital, rehab #1, rehab #2, and finally hospice).  Other than battling pain, he was himself all the way up until about 3 days before he passed.  He never lost that sharp mind of his.  His wish was to live in his own home until the end and I'm just glad other than the last 6 weeks, he was able to do that.  He had a lot of friends who would help him and particularly two neighbors who could run over if something happened.  We would watch out for him, take him food and drink when the power was out after a hurricane, help him in the house if he needed it, and so on.

May take some time for it to sink in that he's really gone.  As others have said, he's just always been there.

May he rest in peace.

Mike

Wow, so sorry to hear.  Just reading the title of the post said it all.  I can't count the number of times Fred has helped and guided me over the years.

He will truly be missed.  It will definitely take time to sink in.

Rest in peace Fred.

Dave

And condolences to you too Mike.  I know that Fred was far more to you personally than a Qimage guru.

So sorry. It was obvious from his posts what a great guy he was and I'll really miss seeing him here.

This is very sad news.  When I first joined this forum in 2017, I posted a couple of questions,
which Fred answered quickly in his usual helpful way. I once approached him privately with
what I knew to be a very basic question (I did not post it on the forum to avoid being
"embarassed" in public) and he typically replied with the answer, and a request to return
to him if I had any other queries.  So helpful, and a gentleman too!

So sorry to hear that Fred has passed on. He is in a better place now no doubt with his good wife talking over good times.
He was one of the good guys and he will be sadly missed.
May he rest in peace
Bill

Sorry for your loss.
Jason Machen

Fred has always been helpful, with a great aptitude for listening and understanding.

He will be missed by so many.

-og

Sorry to hear that ... condolences to family and friends.