Frederick J. "Freddy" Offermann 81, of Council Bluffs, Iowa left this life for his heavenly reward on February 11, 2026 surrounded by his loving family after a lengthy and courageous battle with numerous health issues. Freddy was born on August 30, 1944 at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan, NY to Frederick Offermann and Margaretha (Kueck) Offermann.

The proud child of German immigrants, he made several trips back to Germany over his lifetime. Freddy worked alongside his family in the deli business as a teenager and young adult. He enjoyed working on the Pennsylvania Railroad in Altoona, PA in his 20’s, and ultimately found his niche as a bakery route salesman for Entenmann’s bakery in Long Island where he proudly served as shop steward and from which he retired after a 23 year career.

Freddy married his high school sweetheart, Carol and together they raised 3 big, strong boys who grew up to be outstanding husbands and fathers, of whom he was extremely proud.

After his marriage to Carol came to an end and the death of his father, he moved to Arkansas where he met his second wife, Laura on the luckiest day of her life. They were married in 2003 and enjoyed a rich 23 years of family, friends and lots and lots of laughter.  They relocated to Council Bluffs, Iowa in 2014.

An avid NY Giants, NY Mets and St John’s basketball fan, Freddy enjoyed watching the games and bantering with his friends who were Cowboys, Yankees and Creighton fans.

Freddy was a faithful and grateful member of the recovery community and lived by the code of love and tolerance. He exercised unsurpassed humility in his daily life and served as an inspiration to all who had the good fortune to know and subsequently love him. Freddy had a knack for putting things into perspective, somehow making the world feel safer and friendlier.

A genuine lover of all people and their stories (although sometimes a challenge for others to get a word in edgewise) he celebrated the lives of the people he loved, which was nearly everyone he met. When still able to drive, he preferred to hand deliver bill payments instead of mailing them to enable him to visit with the clerks and cashiers. He was a natural story-teller and broadened all of our horizons with anecdotes about his many life experiences and people he had known and loved over his lifetime. Freddy’s sense of humor was irreverent and outrageous and never once wavered. He gifted us with hysterical stories and Opa quotes to be retold for the rest of our lives.

He was a wise, kind and loving father, Opa, friend and husband and words cannot describe the huge void left in his place. We take comfort in the hope that we will someday be reunited with him.

Freddy is survived by his wife, Laura, his sons Cord Offermann and wife A.J. of Austin, TX, Toby Offermann and wife, Carol of East Northport, NY, Brooke Offermann and wife Nicole of Fort Salonga, NY, his daughters Amanda Adams and Jessica Turner of Council Bluffs, Iowa, grandchildren Jake, Greyson, Emily, Ryan, Oscar and Miles Offermann, Jayden and Julyan Zamora and Aidan and Asher Cox. Freddy is predeceased by his parents, Fred and Margaretha and an infant granddaughter, Anna Cox. Freddy leaves behind a mass of friends, cousins, nieces and nephews.

To all of these and to all of you he leaves the words we’ll miss the most, “Love you’s all!”.

Freddy’s final gift was that of an anatomical donation to the University of Nebraska whom he credited with giving him the gift of 11½ additional years after a diagnosis of lung cancer in 2014.

A Celebration of Freddy’s life will be held at Community of Christ Church 140 W. Kanesville Blvd, Council Bluffs, Iowa on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 11am with dinner to follow. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and St. Labre Indian School.

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