FREDRICK JOHN COREAU

Peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, we announce the passing of our beloved husband and father, Fred Coreau, at the age of 70 years.

Fred was predeceased by his parents, Gerry and Dorothy Coreau, of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Joyce (née Kozak); sons, Jason (Kristy) and Brent (Angela) Coreau, and grandchildren, Gracy, Annabella, Molly, Christian, and Natalia. Fred is also survived by his brothers, Jim, Doug, and Bob (Donna); as well as many cherished sisters-in law, brothers-in law, nieces, nephews and friends.

Fred was born in Chapleau, Ontario in a small log cabin. As a young man growing up in White River, Ontario he met Joyce in Grade 6 and chased her with garter snakes, putting them in her desk when she wasn’t looking.  He attended high school in Thunder Bay, Ontario where he played football for the Westgate Tigers, competed in track and field, was part of the diving team, and was a goalie on the local hockey team. After high school he completed his A/C and refrigeration tech certification.

After he and Joyce started officially dating he would drive 4 hours from White River to Thunder Bay to visit her while she was attending nursing school, a sure sign of true love. They married in September, 1969 and shortly thereafter Fred started at Beneficial Finance and eventually moved on to become the youngest branch manager in Western Canada at the Bank of Nova Scotia. His work address at the time was the McLaren Hotel, not surprisingly, he was robbed twice. He then moved to his niche in sales as the General Manager of Miracle Ventures, onward to a partner in Screen It, and eventually the owner of Advantage Sportswear. His love of meeting people let him thrive as a salesman with his inherent ability to talk to anyone.

Fred loved fishing and camping throughout his life. He was a leader in Boy Scouts and cooked for hundreds at multiple jamborees. He would sit in any weather to watch football, hockey, & car racing. He loved to travel (Canada, Australia, Mexico), but one of his greatest passions was driving and the independence it gave him. Early in the weekend mornings he was often puttering around the house and collecting things from garage sales, ending the day cooking next to the pool or the TV to watch any sport. All his activities were enhanced by his love of breaking out into a song at any given moment. The presence of his grandchildren lit up his life, he loved them all dearly.

Dad went through many, many ailments over the years, riddled with doctor’s appointments and hospital visits, none of which he ever complained about. He endured his conditions with a smile. If you knew Fred, you knew his universal signal for everything being ok, that infamous thumbs up.

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A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm, Monday, January 28, 2019 at Grace Lutheran Church, located at 211 Kimberley Avenue.

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