Clarence Frederick Gerhard, Jr.

C. Fred Gerhard, 98, of Venice, FL, passed away on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. He was the husband of the late Lois (Reed) Gerhard who passed away Sunday, September 16, 2018. He was the son of the late Clarence and Kathryn (Miller) Gerhard. Fred was born in Packer Twp, PA, quit school in 1943 to join the Navy, spent that time as a mechanic on the submarine Boarfish, and upon returning in 1946 married a hometown girl which lasted for 71 years.

His first paying job was with his father’s company as a cutter in the garment industry. Fred moved to Piscataway, NJ to begin his career and start a family. He worked at a gas station as he attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, at night for his GED and took college courses majoring in chemistry for 5 years. That schooling lead him to a job as a lab technician at American Cyanamid in Bound Brook, NJ for 26 years. From there he continued that profession working at Rubber Miller in Maryland and KRC in North Carolina. He was a superintendent of urethane production for 9 years with the company retaining him as technical advisor and traveling consultant.

Fred was a hands-on person. He built our first house in Piscataway, NJ in 1959, and added a garage and built-in swimming pool years later. He was into boating and fishing and built his own speedboat. But, he wasn’t done there since he built our second house in New Hampton, NJ in 1968.

In his never-ending quest for knowledge and learning, he self-taught himself how to repair things, electrical projects, mechanics and automotive, and computers which he ended up having classes for other seniors. Other than work, he loved to dance, golf, walk, and growing plants and gardening. Fred was involved in volunteering and helping people, and active in church activities, including council and choir.

Fred also spent a lot of time traveling. He took the whole family, including his mother, on cross-country trips by driving and pulling a camping trailer. They camped in many of the lower 48 states, plus eastern and western Canada. Stops were made at several national parks and attractions along the way. Later in life, he visited with his wife Central America, most of Europe, the Caribbean, Turkey, Japan, and numerous cruises.

Survivors include: Daughter #1, Ruth Anne Siedman, wife of Arthur Siedman of Venice, FL; Daughter #2, Joan Dell DeJianne, wife of Richard DeJianne of Hellertown, PA; Daughter #3, Geraldine May Gerhard of Pasadena, MD; a grandson, Kristopher Kraft; and 3 great-grandchildren, Kris Jr. Kraft, Adrianna Kraft, and Lillian Kraft, all from MD. He has 2 surviving sisters, Geraldine Ryer of PA, and Olive Yarbrough of CO. Fred being the oldest of 8 siblings, was preceded in death by Agnes Gerhard, June Gerhard, Cleo Scanlan, Russell Gerhard, and Irene Williams.

There will be no service, and Fred’s ashes will be scattered on his mother’s gravesite in Hazleton, PA.