Ronald (Ron) Max Fredericks departed this life on Thursday January 26, 2023. Ron was granted this life on the morning of March 6, 1939. He was born at home in a small house on a hill in Bruceville, Indiana and was welcomed by his parents, Roscoe H. and Sarah Catherine (Luking) Fredericks and sister Evelyn June.
Ron attended Bruceville High School and graduated in 1957. After graduation, he attended Vincennes University and graduated in 1960 with an AS degree in Secondary Education. He worked part-time at the downtown Kroger store in Vincennes paying for his schooling cost. He took a part year off to work then attended Indiana State Teachers College while coming home on weekends to work at Kroger’s to earn money to pay for school. He graduated from Indiana State University in 1963 with a BS in Secondary Business Education and earned his MS degree in 1965.
Ron began teaching business subjects at Lincoln High School in 1963 and continued that role until January 1998. He was department chairperson and director of Adult Education for several years. He helped develop, install, and maintain computer labs at the old and new high school.
He was active in the local teachers association having served in various roles and as president of the Vincennes Education Association from 1974 to 1998. During his teaching career, he was a member of ISTA and NEA and was a charter member of the former business education fraternity Delta Pi Epsilon, Beta Zeta Chapter, formed at Indiana State University.
He helped negotiate the affiliation of local education employees with the Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union, now Liberty Federal, which serves all of Knox and surrounding counties. He was involved with the building of the local branch offices in Vincennes and served on the Board of Directors of the credit union for twelve years.
Ron was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Vincennes in earlier years, had attended the First Church of God in Monroe City for a period of time, the returned to First United Methodist.
He was self-taught in computers during the early days of the computer revolution and enjoyed computers, electronics, cars, flying, travel, cooking, gardening, and his grandkids.
Ron was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Evelyn June Beard, and a nephew Jeffery Beard. He is survived by his daughter, Jennifer L. (Fredericks) Dorsey and her husband Michael of Edwardsville, IL, and three grandchildren that he loved so very much, William Thomas Dorsey, Catherine Grace Dorsey, and Vivian Rose Dorsey.
Other survivors include a niece, Barbara (Beard) Richards, and her husband, Fred of Bruceville, IN, a nephew, Darrel Beard, of Evansville, as well as several great and great-great nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday January 31, 2023 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. at Goodwin-Sievers Funeral Home. The funeral service will begin immediately after at 1:00 pm with Pastor Trevor Murry officiating. Burial will follow at Bruceville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Vincennes Animal Shelter or Good Samaritan Hospice Program. Goodwin-Sievers Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the care of Ronald.
