Frederic Anness Stott '40
Deceased December 1, 2006
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In Memory
The Class joins his family in mourning the death of another of our dwindling number, Fred Stott, on December 1, 2006. A memorial celebration, A Life of Service, was held in the chapel of Phillips Academy, Andover, on December 9, 2006. Fred had been born on the campus at Andover; he was eighty-nine.
Fred lived a full life encompassing his focused activities with Phillips Academy, Andover; Amherst College; the Appalachian Mountain Club; and the wider world, where, as a marine he fought in the Pacific in WWII (Navy Cross, Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts).
Returned from war to civilian life, his skills and interests seemingly boundless, he became active in liberal political action. Next, he entered upon a long and fruitful career in the administration of Phillips Academy; he was secretary of the Academy for thirty-one years. Fred also did important work for the Town of Andover and was always a hard-working, loyal member of our Class.
In later years, he gladdened his heart with the Iditarod sled dog contests in Alaska. He was, particularly and enduringly, a man of the great outdoors, as shown most obviously by his life-affirming work in the Appalachian Mountain Club. His book, On and Off the Trail: Seventy Years with the Appalachian Mountain Club, was published by the AMC in 2004.
Fred had a quality, an ineffable, perhaps inexpressible, sort of being that made him memorable. An anecdote may show this better.
The time I like to remember as being typically Fred, suffused with good feeling, and, in retirement, relaxed, was in 2002.
I came up on the commuter train from Boston to Fred’s place in Andover to visit him; he had invited me to lunch. I walked up the long hill and across the Academy campus to Fred’s house. Having accepted that I would rather walk than have him pick me up at the station, he complimented me with a warm, “Way to go!” for this athletic exertion.
We had an animated, inclusive conversation that included superficial and universal while Fred was preparing and serving soup and salad, healthy and delicious.
Fred told me that his lunches had become a standard he promoted, for he had found that people would relax; meetings were better under these conditions. I would testify to that.
He told me with a twinkle that when the Academy had chosen a new head, he was eager to size her up. He invited her to lunch, which she seemed to enjoy. Thus he satisfied himself that she would probably do a good job; this had turned out to be true.
Married to Georganne Soutar in 1946, Fred had been widowed in 1981. He is survived by Susan Garth, whom he wed in 1982.
Survivors and their spouses include two sisters, two sons, two stepdaughters; also seven grandchildren.
—Louis P. Dolbeare ’40