Frederick Adam Widmann Jr.

Frederick Adam Widmann Jr., 86, passed away peacefully in his home at Park Visalia Assisted Living, on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 in Visalia, California. He is predeceased by his beloved wife Sharon (Clark) Widmann of 37 years, his parents, Frederick and Dorothy Widmann Sr. and his sister Jane Taylor.    Fred truly enjoyed life, he thought it important to have fun and stay curious about life. After his retirement, he enjoyed learning and working with stained glass, reading, hiking, fishing, playing golf, road trips to visit family and friends. Most especially he enjoyed several summer trips to New Mexico as a field assistant to his friend, Dr. Robert (Bob) Sullivan for the paleontological department at the Pennsylvania State Museum. He volunteered for the State Museum, starting in the “Dino Lab,” an exhibit that helped explain and show fossils and bones of dinosaurs. Later he became a personal preparator of fossils for Dr. Sullivan in the paleontological department. In 1991, he helped to facilitate a traveling exhibit for the Susquehanna Art Museum, aptly named “VanGo,” which brought art and sculptures to local schools around Harrisburg. He also enjoyed his time volunteering as a docent for the Hershey Museum. President to the Harrisburg Rock and Mineral Club for two terms, he spent many weekends traveling throughout PA and NY, looking for specimens for his rock collection. He loved to laugh, sing, play games (a mean Scrabble player) and had a great love for music, a wide variety of music from classical to Pink Floyd. Irreverently reverent, he will be greatly missed for the twinkle in his eye which usually signified some impending mischief.   Born to Frederick A. and Dorothy (Bender) Widmann Sr. in Albany, New York on July 19, 1930, Fred grew up in New Scotland, New York, graduated from Voorheesville High School in 1947 and went on to attend St Lawrence University. He was married to Ann Marie Maeder, of Delmar, New York from 1954-1976. He graduated from the Hartford Theological Seminary BD (STM) and from Andover-Newton Seminary (STM), Connecticut in 1963. His first parish was in Tupper Lake, NY in 1954, with following parishes in Hobart, NY (1957) and Hyde Park, MA. (1960). Leaving Boston in 1963, he moved his family to Horseheads, NY, and was the Presbyterian pastor at the Elmira Reception Center. In 1969, he began working at the Elmira Psychiatric Center, Department of Mental Health counseling until 1976. On January 22, 1977, he married Sharon Anne Clark and moved to Bernardsville, New Jersey. Fred and Sharon moved to Harrisburg, PA, in 1982 where he was the Presbyterian pastor for the Camp Hill Correctional Facility, retiring in 1991. During his retirement, he continued his ministry by visiting the elderly in hospitals and nursing homes. Upon Sharon’s passing in 2014, he move to California to be near his daughter, Martha and her husband, Rick. He enjoyed meeting people and making new friends at both Casa Grande and Park Visalia (assisted living facilities). Mostly he marveled at just being in California, at the well-trimmed palm trees, the “ruggedly beautiful country” of the Sierras, and that he could experience some “winter days” in his shorts.    Fred is survived by his first wife Ann Widmann, daughters; Paula (Larry) Chatman, Julia (Elazar) Ovalle and Martha Widmann (Rick Badgley); grandchildren: Nicholas, Matthew, Leah Garcia, David, Rebekah Chatman and Isaac Ovalle. Great grandchildren: Cayden, Jaedyn and Kash Chatman; brother-in-law Charles Taylor, sister-in-law Betty Jane Waeschle, many loving nieces and nephews (Taylor, Waeschle), cousins (Widmann, Greene), extended family and friends who loved him dearly.      A Celebration of Life event is planned for family and friends  July 23, 2017 at The Hershey Pantry from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. in Hershey, PA. For directions to the Hershey Pantry, please see www.hersheypantry.com. . An open house will be held late spring in Three Rivers for his friends in California. Announcements will be made nearer to the event times.    In Lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.