Charles "Fred" Frederic Dye, Jr.'s Obituary
Charles Frederic Dye, Jr., known as “Fred,” passed away on September 8, 2014 at age 94 in Grand Haven, MI. Born July 3, 1920 in Dayton, OH, his family moved to Birmingham, MI where his father worked for GM and gave Fred his love of cars. After graduating from Cranbrook School and Cornell University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Fred served in WWII as a Technical Observer for GM with the French 2nd Armor Division. He received a bronze star for his service. After serving in the U.S. Army, we worked at Ford Motor Co. as a Project Planner for 31 years. He was a lifelong member of St. James Episcopal Church in Birmingham, MI. In retirement, he promoted the work of the Michigan Nature Association, giving slide shows and serving on the Board of Trustees. For years, he participated in the Audubon annual Christmas bird count. He loved hiking, downhill and cross country skiing. At 70 he ran the Boston Marathon. As an amateur jazz musician, he played the clarinet and knew all the names of jazz greats in crossword puzzles. Survivors include 3 children, David (Darcy) Dye of Grand Rapids, Ruth (David) Bales of Encinitas, CA, and Martha Dye Whealan of Seattle, WA; 5 grandchildren, Laura Dye, Scott Dye, Christopher Dye, Graham Whealan and James Whealan; brother, John (Jayne) Dye of Lancaster, OH; and sister, Dorothy Burns of Walterboro, SC. Fred was preceded in death by his son, William Charles Dye; first wife, Helen Louise Minter; and second wife, Diana Marcus Dye. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, September 13, in the Chapel of Psalms at White Chapel Memorial Cemetery (621 W. Long Lake Rd., Troy, MI). In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Fred’s name may be given to the Michigan Nature Association (2310 Science Parkway, Suite 100, Okemos, MI 48864). Arrangements by Sytsema Funeral Homes, Inc. 6291 S. Harvey St. Norton Shores, MI 49444 (231) 798-1100.
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