LENCZYCKI, Frederick James
8/9/1946 - 10/17/2021
He was a storyteller, reader, philosopher, thinker, bibliophile, record collector, hard worker, athlete, historian, Vietnam veteran, Blues lover, statistics coach, and public servant. Life was much too short for Fred born to James and Anne Lenczycki in Baltimore, Maryland, August 9, 1946; he was raised in Elkridge with his brother, Bill and sister, Dorothy. There was a lot of learning to do at St. Augustine Elementary School and Mount St. Joseph's High School, where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame as a three sport athlete with academic honors (football, wrestling, track) and two time Maryland State Champion Wrestler, 175 pound class. His degrees were earned at Rutgers, Bucknell, and the University of Arizona. Being in the Army ROTC, Fred was called to duty and to Vietnam in 1971 serving with the 40th Signal Battalion. He returned stateside and began his PHD in Psychology at the University of Arizona. He utilized his past experiences as head of a residence hall and moved into Graham-Greenlee Hall as head, trained his staff and welcomed hundreds of students to campus life, many were also UA athletes. Fred even agreed to be club sponsor for an infant Ice Cat hockey team. He worked for DES, took graduate classes, wrote his dissertation, and earned a PhD in 1975. He was hired by TUSD where he worked for 30 years in Administrative Services with student records, policies, public documents, interpreters/translators, governing board assignments, lawsuits, negotiations and most importantly, the annual reports to the federal court in relation to the 1978 desegregation order. Additionally, Fred kept historical records for the district some of which were critical in the repurposing of the school building now known as Dunbar Performance Center. While supervising a Title I Program for TUSD, Fred and a colleague had to visit a program at Salpointe High School. It was here he met English teacher, Maria Michele Brubaker in 1975. He was the East Coast version of Catholic school boy and she was the West Coast version of Catholic school girl working at her alma mater. For both, it was immediate attraction! They courted. Her five year old daughter, Rina, and her family embraced Fred. They shared the love of being in education albeit from different angles. They courted. Her daughter married after college, began a teaching career, had three sons, all of whom called him "GrandFred." Many, many adventures came as a result of his love of them and theirs for him. After retirement, Fred was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2011. They courted. Michele's aging WWII family members needed assistance and Fred was always there. In 2017, Michele and Fred were no longer "last in line" and they married. He promised to "love her well' and she called him the "love of her life." Fred was preceded in death by his parents, James and Anne; his brother, William and nephew, Michael. He is survived by Maria Michele Brubaker, his wife; Rina Valdez and her sons, Frankie, Mateo and Andres; his sister, Dorothy of York, PA and sisters-in law, Joan Lenczycki of Maryland and Kathleen Hughes of Tucson; brother-in-law, Tom Hughes of Las Vegas, and nephews, Billy and Andy Jarboe; nieces, Anne Marie Stinson and Sharon Andrews and eight great nieces and nephews as well as extended families. A good, good man died at home in Tucson Arizona on October 17, 2021. Always, Fred's generosity and respect for all--even the stranger on the street--marked his legacy of kindness. Bene Factum, Freddy!
Celebration of Life Services: 11:30 a.m., Saturday, November 20, 2021 at St. Thomas More Catholic Newman Center, 1615 E. 2nd St. on the UA Campus and a week later, interment at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Monday, November 29, 2021 in Marana. Arrangements by ANGEL VALLEY FUNERAL HOME.
