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In memory of

Paul Alfred Fredette

Virginia Beach, VA, USA

December 17, 1949 - March 13, 2021

Dec 17, 1949 - Mar 13, 2021

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Paul Alfred Fredette, III , 71, passed away peacefully on Saturday March 13, 2021 at Sentara Hospice House in Virginia Beach, VA.

Paul was born in Fitchburg MA on December 17, 1949. He graduated from Norwich University in 1971. He was proud of his military education. Stories of marching on the parade grounds, bouncing a quarter on his taut bedding, and eating square meals lived on long after his graduation. Many fellow cadets remained his friends for life.

Paul began his engineering career with the US Environmental Protection Agency in Boston. In 1979, Paul moved to Salem NH where he held the position of town engineer. Paul raised his family in Salem NH and was a member of Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Parish.

In 1984 Paul founded Fredette Associates, his own civil engineering firm. Paul grew his company and ten years later oversaw a merger to establish SFC Engineering Partnership. In 2002, Paul returned to the public sector with positions in Dorset VT, and Claremont NH. Paul retired from the position of Public Utilities Director in Elizabeth City, NC in 2017.

Paul was clever and resourceful. Unique situations and complex dilemmas were his opportunities to shine. Whether it was a construction project, a plumbing repair, or a route to be negotiated, there was never a problem too big. Those are the times that you wanted Paul in your corner.

Paul challenged life. He was not satisfied with the norm; he always reached for the extreme. Paul chose a lakeside campsite on top of a large rock outcrop. He hired a crane to place his camper on this overlook. No one else had that vision, or courage to do it the way he did it. At that location, he entertained family and friends who came to enjoy a campfire or waterskiing behind his boat.

Paul planned a life of adventure in retirement. Selling many of his belongings and leaving his home, Paul bought a recreational vehicle to travel the country. His venture took him along the east coast, but he never realized his dream of crisscrossing North America before health concerns sidelined him.

His family called him ‘Freddie’; Norwich cadets called him ‘Tree’. Some called him ‘Spud’. These were some of the nicknames for this fun loving and generous man. His large physical stature was overshadowed only by his heart. Paul basked in the times that he was surrounded by family. He will be remembered most for his antics, his mischievous smile, jokes that went right to the edge without going over (well, maybe sometimes over) and his big bear hugs.

Paul leaves behind his son Charles Fredette and his wife, Meghan, and their son, Weston, of New Boston NH; his son Alex Diaz of Virginia Beach; his sister Denise O’Leary and her husband Michael of Enfield CT, and brother George Fredette and his wife Katherine of Salem NH; and many beloved nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews.

A funeral Mass will be held for Paul on Monday, March 22 at 10:00 am at Mary Queen of Peace church in Salem NH. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation to Catholic Charities in Paul’s name. Your contribution will be allocated to a fund designed to assist families wishing to adopt a child. To be certain those contributions are allocated properly, please kindly include a copy of his obituary.

Catholic Charities of NH 100 William Loeb Drive, Unit 3 Manchester, NH 03109 Attention: Development

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