Frederick William Bertolaet passed away Aug. 27, 2018, at Fairhaven Senior Services in Whitewater.
He was born Oct. 1, 1928, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, the only child of Dr. Elmer E. and Mrs. Edna R. Bertolaet. He was 89 years old.
Fred met his wife of 68 years, Ruth Etta Krahn, of Milwaukee, when they were both students attending Whitewater State University. They married June 16, 1951.
Fred received his bachelor of education from Whitewater State in 1951, his master of science (1958) and his Ph.D. (1964) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From 1951 to 1960, he worked in various capacities at public schools in Williams Bay, Eagle and Dousman, including as a teacher, supervisory teacher and principal.
From 1962 to 1966, Fred served as the executive secretary of the Research Council of the Great Cities Program for School Improvement, Chicago, Illinois, working on most of the major education legislation in that decade. From there, Fred joined the faculty of the University of Michigan as an assistant professor in the School of Education. In 1992, at the rank of full professor, Fred retired from the University to become professor emeritus.
While at the University of Michigan, he served as the assistant, associate and acting dean of the School of Education. He also directed many grants, including the Arabic Language Bilingual Materials Development Center and several programs with the Detroit Public Schools. Fred advised prominent leaders, including Michigan Gov. William Milliken and U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, on major education issues, but was most proud of his work diversifying the student body at the university.
Fred was raised in Palmyra. He knew the community well as the son of a small-town doctor, a member of the community band and as a Boy Scout who reached the rank of Eagle Scout. He went to Waukesha High School, where he was on the football team, debate team, in the band and served as the president of the student council as he was again at Whitewater State. He later served on the Palmyra School Board.
As a boy, Fred spent his summers at the family farm outside Manitowoc and at his parents’ cottage on Lauderdale Lakes. His time spent at the cottage made him an expert swimmer, which landed him jobs as a lifeguard. He also enjoyed working with his grandfather, who had been a carpenter by trade. This relationship and mentoring led Fred to enroll in a contractors program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His plan was to enter the building trades and form a company with his grandfather after his graduation, but Fred became ill with a severe form of juvenile arthritis. During his recuperation, he decided to change his career goals to education and attend Whitewater State. The building bug never left him, as he became a lifelong do-it- yourselfer along with beekeeping and gardening.
Fred enjoyed being a father and a grandfather. He never shied away from helping with homework, projects and events. He always enjoyed a good laugh with his children and treasured those memories. There was always a flashlight that needed to be held, a lesson to be learned and a skill to be passed on. Fred also enjoyed camping and traveling with his family. None of his children were safe from a historical marker whether it was in the U.S., Canada or Europe.
Fred is survived by his wife, Ruth; daughters Becky (James) Sallade of Austin, Texas, Bonnie (Martin Seidel) Bertolaet of Concord, Mass., Bobbie Bertolaet of Ann Arbor, Mich.; son Todd (Joan) Bertolaet of Tallahassee, Fla.; and 9 grandchildren.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Fairhaven fellowship hall in Whitewater.
Condolences can be made at Haaselockwoodfhs.com.
