Obituary: Frederick C. Suhr - Class of 1929

DANA POINT, CALIF. - Frederick C. Suhr, age 96, died on Wednesday, Oct.10, 2007, at his home in Dana Point, California. A loving husband, devoted father and grandfather, and friend to many, Fred will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him. He was born in Madison on June 26, 1911, the son of Fred W. Suhr, longtime former president of the American Exchange Bank, and Laura Stieglitz Suhr. He was a graduate of Madison Central High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison from which he received a BA degree in 1933, and a LL.B. degree in 1935. He graduated with many honors including Phi Beta Kappa. In 1941, he married the former Betty Hutchcroft who preceded him in death in 1996. After completing six months of office practice with the Madison law firm then known as Lafollette, Rogers and Roberts, he was admitted to practice law in the state of Wisconsin and the Federal District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin in January 1936. He practiced law continuously with that firm, now and since 1970 known as Boardman, Suhr, Curry and Field, except for thirty-five months of military service during World War II with the Army Counter Intelligence Corp. He became of council in 1982, and officially retired from the firm in July 2003, at the age of 92. Fred was a member of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Dane County Bar Association and its past president. Fred was a member of The Madison Club for over 50 years, and served as president in 1970-71, and thereafter as president of the separate but related entity, the Madison Club House Corporation, which owns the Club property. He was also a member of the Bascom Hill Society of the University of Wisconsin Foundation. For most of his adult life he was involved in boating activities, both sail and power boat. In the late 1930s, he was a member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra as a second violinist for about four years. Fred moved to Southern California in April 2003, after the death of his son Steve, so that he could be with his daughter Margi and her family. Fred is survived by his daughter Margi; and his three grandchildren, Amy, Omar and Beau. We will celebrate Fred's extraordinary life at a memorial service on Friday, Oct. 19, 2007, at CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 944 East Gorham St. The family may be greeted beginning at 10 a.m. with the service starting promptly at 11 a.m. A reception in his honor will be held at the Madison Club following the service. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the University of Wisconsin Foundation, Madison for the Frederick C. Suhr Pooled Fund A or Macular Degeneration Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, Maryland 20871.

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on October 14, 2007

Note: Frederick Suhr's class year is based on information in the 1929 Tychoberahn, where his photograph appears among those of the February 1929 graduates. He was class saluatorian.