John F. “Fred” Groeger, 81, of Wadsworth, a beloved father, grandfather and brother, passed away on March 13, 2024, after a brief illness. Born on July 6, 1942, and raised in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Ridgway High School in 1960 before his enlistment in the United States Navy where he served as a hospital corpsman from 1960 to 1963. He found employment in Akron, Ohio in 1965 where he raised his family. His working career ended in 2011 when he retired as an Assembly Manager from PT Tech in Wadsworth, Ohio. Throughout portions of his lifetime, he enjoyed building model aircraft, fishing, crossword puzzles and birdwatching. In the ‘70’s his interest in aircraft and flying led him to obtaining a commercial pilot license. Later he became an avid nature photographer where he specialized in photographing wildflowers, plants and wildlife. An ardent reader, he enjoyed the novels of Allan Eckert along with anything related to military history. More recently, he spent time researching the military career of his father along with the sailing histories of specific World War 2 vessels. He was inspired by the words of Carl Sagan and Greta Thunberg, and he championed environmental causes for much of his adult life. He was a devoted fan of the Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Bengals, and TheOhio State Buckeyes. Later in life he developed a deep fondness for cats and leaves behind his feline companions May and June.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William Herman and Caroline Louise Groeger (nee Holmberg), close friends Joe Meadows, Janet Cihaj, Ann Allard, and Rick Knight. He is survived by his children, Duane (Amanda) of Akron, Ohio;Andrew (Maureen Ford) of Chicago, Illinois; and Jane of Akron, Ohio. Fred will also be fondly remembered by his former wife, the mother of his children, and dear friend Carlene Groeger;brother William (Phyllis) of Corning, New York; sister Mimi(Rich) Laughner of Ridgway, Pennsylvania; grandsons Neil and Joseph; granddaughter Kasha; nephews Kurt and Kriss; and niece Coral.
The family would like to thank Drs. Lu, Wong and Khayyat along with the staff at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital who gave him comfort and care in his final months and days.
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Services will be held on Friday, March 22, 2024, at Sommerville Funeral Services, 1695 Diagonal Rd, Akron, Ohio. The family will receive guests from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, with a memorial service immediately following. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Fred’s honor to Stay-A-While Cat Shelter: https://stayawhilecatshelter.org/donations/