Frederick W. Ekdahl
Frederick W. Ekdahl, passed away on December 2, 2022 in Libertyville, Illinois. Fred was born in Calumet, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, on December 8, 1934 to the late Fred and Edna (Hendrickson) Ekdahl. Fred, also known as “Fritz,” lived in Michigan throughout his life. He attended Calumet High School (’52), where he was voted “most bashful,” and proudly served in the National Guard for eight years. Fritz also worked on the Isle Royal Queen, transporting passengers to and from Copper Harbor to Isle Royal National Park, and later served as a deck hand on the crew of the Wilfred Sykes, a Great Lakes ore freighter. Following high school, Fred trained as an electrician in a copper smelter and some of the deepest mines in the U.P. Fred later completed a formal four-year apprenticeship program in the Detroit area through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local #58. He remained a proud union member throughout his life, until he retired in 1995, and became a member of the IBEW Local #58 Retirees and Widows Association.
Fred remained active in his retirement and took great pleasure in the outdoors and many forms of exercise throughout his life, including ballroom and line dancing, ice hockey, and downhill and cross-country skiing. Fritz started out at a young age bicycling with his grandfather, often cycling 35 miles or more at a time, and later in life he relished a cycling vacation in the Provence region of France, cycling 385 miles in 11 days. Fred enjoyed travel throughout his life, taking many long-distance automobile road trip adventures with his family, touring throughout the United States and Canada. Later in his life, he enjoyed trips abroad, exploring Italy, Germany, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Fred was a member of Harvest Bible Chapel in Spring Lake, and regularly participated in men’s bible study and weekly small group meetings there.
He is survived by his son Kevin and daughter-in-law Molly Iacovoni; daughter Sarah and son-in-law Richard Ward; three grandchildren, Luke Ekdahl, Mark Ekdahl, and Elle Lapsen; and brother Matthew Ekdahl and sister-in-law Bunny. He was preceded in death by his wife, Karen (Peterson), who passed away in 1992; and brother John Ekdahl, who passed in 1996.
In keeping with Fred’s wishes, a simple cremation with a celebration of life will be scheduled this coming summer at Lakeview Cemetery in Calumet, MI.