Fred W. Minnick, age 87, formerly from Monticello, Indiana, passed away peacefully on Sunday November 19, 2023, with his family by his side.  Born in Ringwood, Oklahoma on November 4, 1936, to Clarence and Rose Koon Minnick, he was the middle child of three.  

The son of a farmer and school chef, he attended all of his grade school years in Ringwood schools.  He worked in the fields in the summer during high school to save money for college.  After graduation, Fred attended Oklahoma State University where he majored in education.  During his college years, he met the love of his life, Alice Marie Patton.  He was united in marriage to Alice on August 23, 1958, and they shared 57 years of marriage prior to her death in 2016.  

At the completion of college, Fred and Alice traveled to Tehran, Iran where he worked in the English Schools for four years.  After returning to the United States, they resided in Perkins, Oklahoma for two years until given the opportunity to teach in Indiana.  Indiana became his home for the next 50 plus years.  Several more years of education and degrees, including an Educational Specialist degree from Purdue, would eventually allow Fred to work his way up from Assistant Principal to Principal, to Assistant Superintendent and eventually he was Superintendent of schools for over 30 years.

He retired while serving as Superintendent at White County Schools.  Education was hard for him to give up and he stepped out of retirement to serve as Interim Superintendent of White County Schools in Monticello, IN followed by seven additional years a Financial Consultant for several other school corporations.

Through the years, Fred and Alice raised four children and took regular family vacations every summer.  He worked part-time at Montgomery Wards for years so Alice could stay home.  

He was a very faithful man and served on the board of their local church and even spent several years as a Sunday school teacher.  He was a member of the Lions Club for many years.  Nothing made Fred happier than spending time in his huge garden, unless it was tending to the many bird feeders he kept up, as he loved feeding the birds and squirrels.  After losing Alice in 2016, Fred struggled but managed to keep up with his garden and his loyal dachshund companions.

Fred moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky this past August and was a resident of Charter Senior Living.  

Fred is survived by his four children, Lynn Miller of Bowling Green, KY, Patti (Carl) Sharp of Liberty, IN, Lea Minnick of Audubon, NJ, and Ron (Michelle) Minnick of Denver, NC; 5 grandchildren, Seth, Joe (Elesha), Eric, Angela (David) and Robert (Mikayla); 5 great grandchildren, Wyatt, Weston, Madison, Dean and Grace; as well as several in-laws, nieces, and nephews and his loving 4-legged companion Lucy.

In addition to his parents and wife, he is preceded in death by a sister, Rozella Bymaster, a brother, Jacki Lee Minnick and a granddaughter, Jennifer Lynn Miller.

Funeral services will be held at Urban Winkler Funeral Home on Wednesday November 22, 2023, at 1:00 pm.  Friends and family may gather from 11:00 am until the hour of the service.  Fred will be laid to rest next to his wife and granddaughter at Dale Cemetery.