Obituaries

Fred S. Vorsanger

Photo of Fred S. Vorsanger
Former Fayetteville Mayor, honorary Razorback and World's #1 Grandpa Fred Vorsanger passed away on Jan. 12, 2017. He will be sorely missed and remembered by the many people whose lives he touched through his humor, generosity and service to family, community and country. Fred was born April 20, 1928 in Calumet City, Ill., and like many from that era, Fred came to realize the value of hard work, fiscal responsibility and extending a hand to those in need. After high school, he enlisted in the US Army and attended college under the GI Bill following his discharge. Fred would go on to earn his accounting degree from Indiana University in 1951 and following graduation began his career at the accounting firm, Ernst & Ernst. Two years later, Fred took a position at Purdue University as an internal auditor, a step which led to a life-long career in administration in higher education. In 1968, Fred accepted a position as Vice President of Finance for the University of Arkansas beginning his 48 year association with Fayetteville and the Razorback community. Fred was passionate about both and in his pursuit of excellence he was tireless in promoting and building the infrastructure that continue to accrue benefits today, enriching the lives of U of A students, alumni, faculty as well as all citizens of Fayetteville. Fred felt it important to devote much of his time to help others in need. He cherished his life-long association with Rotary International and the opportunities to help others Rotary provided. Fred‘s work with Rotary was well recognized. He was a Past President and Past District Governor; and was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow. Fred's worldview was such that he wanted to devote his entire self to a cause if he was to be involved. Accordingly, he only agreed to serve on boards where he could roll up his sleeves and dive right into work to fulfill the mission of that organization. Fred was on the Board of the Ozark Guidance Center Foundation, The Council on Aging Foundation,as well as a number of others. Although Fred was hard charging and could be impatient at times, he was always the ultimate "people person" with a charm and sense of humor that put people at ease and motivated them to tackle thorny issues. His signature style served him well not only at the University, but also during his service as a director on the Boards of Tyson Foods and Arvest Bank. Fred enjoyed his "first" retirement from the University by taking on new challenges and ultimately serving as Mayor of Fayetteville. After his time in the mayoral office he was called to oversee the construction of Bud Walton Arena, the home of Razorbacks Basketball – Fred abandoned his initial retirement and continued to manage the facility until finally stepping down from that position at the age of 81. Fred remained active in the community by volunteering his time at the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. Fred could not have achieved his success without the love, dedication and support of his wife of over fifty years, Doreen. Despite Fred's many accomplishments, he always considered talking Doreen into marrying him as his foremost accomplishment. Doreen and Fred were a great team and gracious hosts for many in the area. In addition to Doreen, Fred is survived by his three children and their spouses, Diana and Dave Beran, Bruce and Ginny Vorsanger, Bob and Katie Vorsanger; his five grandchildren, Dave Beran (and his wife Lindsey who considered Fred as an honorary grandfather), Becky Tillson (and her husband Chris), Michael Vorsanger, Todd Vorsanger, and Corey Vorsanger; and his five great grandchildren, Blythe, Blair, Leah, Winston and Sutter. Grandpa Fred always kept the grandkids in stitches with his jokes and songs. Many times his own jokes caused Grandpa Fred to break out into uncontrollable laughter and tears even before reaching the punchline, an occurrence which would only tickle his audience even that much more. Spending time with Grandpa Fred was something the grandkids looked forward to each and every year. They always knew that during each visit Grandpa Fred would bestow upon them a large repertoire of new jokes to take back to school. Fred was a role model as a parent, grandparent, businessman, member of the community, and patron to the University. All three of his children attended the University and two of his grandchildren also learned to call the hogs as Razorbacks. Fred's was a life well-lived. He was happy, he had fun and he was ready to share a good story with a listening ear at all times. Fred spent his life achieving these things by helping those around him. Fred would be so happy to be remembered with a smile and a joke. A celebration of Fred's life will be held 1 p.m., Monday Jan. 16th at Christian Life Cathedral 1285 Millsap Road in Fayetteville. Private burial services will be held at Fairview Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that if you so choose to honor his legacy that you contribute to the following organizations: Ozark Guidance Foundation, P.O. Box 6430, Springdale, Ark. 72766 (Make checks to the Ozark Guidance Foundation, Memo: In memory of Fred Vorsanger) or donate online at http://www.ozarkguidance.org/donate/donate_now/. Fred S. and Doreen D. Vorsanger Endowed Scholarship 30006089; University of Arkansas Foundation, 300 University House, One University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. 72701 (Make checks payable to the University of Arkansas Foundation with Memo:Fred S. and Doreen D. Vorsanger Endowed Scholarship) To sign the online guest book please visit www.nelsonberna.com.

Published January 15, 2017

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