December 5, 2011  

LOWVILLE, N.Y.  —  Frederick William von Behren, 91, died Sunday, Dec. 4, at Lewis County Residential Health Care Facility of terminal heart/kidney failure.   

He was born Nov. 29, 1920, in Baltimore, Md., a son of Fred W. von Behren, Jr. and Olga Schuler von Behren.  

He married Marie Schroeder in 1942 and they had five children:  Beverly Rose living in Hamilton, Ohio; Frederick von Behren and wife Laura in Glen Dale, Md.; Jack von Behren of Waterbury Center, Vt.; Paul von Behren and wife Denise of Boulder, Colo., and David von Behren and Sharon of Baltimore City.  Marie died in the year 2000.  

The following year he married Eileen Kovach and moved to her home in Brantingham.  

Eileen and Fred had two devoted and loving pets, Kiwaii, a Shiba Inu and Henry II, a beautiful Norwegian Forest cat. 

Fred attended Baltimore City public schools and graduated in 1939 from the Polytechnic Institute and he completed his college degree program at McCoy College of Johns Hopkins University in 1954, majoring in mechanical engineering and additional classes in electrical engineering. He was licensed to practice Professional engineering in 1957, in Maryland and was later certified in several other states in the District of Columbia. He was employed as an engineer in one of the largest consulting firms in Maryland and for a few years with a consulting firm in Texas. He spent several years also employed as administrative (chief) engineer for Riggs Distler Inc., one of the largest mechanical and electrical construction firms in the United States. 

In 1965, he started his own practice in engineering which became incorporated in 1967, as Fred W. von Behren, Inc., Professional Engineers. His activities in engineering were concentrated in designing air conditioning for multistory buildings in Baltimore and other nearby cities and one of 20 stories in lower Manhattan.  

When the market for large building air condition was reduced by the rapid rate of designing air conditioning projects he concentrated on designing mechanical and electrical systems for hospitals and laboratories. His firm was selected to design air conditioning and other services for a major modernization of the headquarters building of the National society of Professional engineers in Washington, D.C. His design of abandoning the use of extremely heavy boilers by providing 3 large capacity water heaters that were substantially far less weight that performed at greater efficiency than the heavier steel boilers most frequently used for this service.  Soon after this work was completed he was listed in “Marquis Who’s Who and the publication “Engineers of Distinction”.  Some time later he was awarded a plaque and a certificate for service in the National society of Professional engineers.  

At a later date, he was given a lifetime membership after 50 years service to the American Society of Heating, Ventilation and air Conditioning Engineers. 

Working as an associate with a larger engineer, he spent considerable time training and working with Engineers who had recently moved from Asian countries and one engineer form a European nation. 

He attended church regularly all his life. The earliest years in a very large Lutheran church in Baltimore and after marrying associated with the United Church in which his wife had been raised. He changed to a Lutheran Church later and when there was no Lutheran Churches within reasonable travel distances in Vermont, he and his wife joined St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church in Stove, Vt., and he became certified as lector or reader of bible passages during church services. He also served on the Vestry of the church in Stowe. At the time of his death, Mr. von Behren was a member of Trinity Church in Lowville where he continued to read scriptures regularly. 

He also served as Treasurer and Fund Raising Assistant Scoutmaster.  In much later years he spent long periods of time as a Kiwanian and a Rotarian. 

A lifetime gardener who spent most of his efforts raising and flowering Cactuses and other Succulent plants. Quite a lengthy experience was accrued planting more than 100 trees of particular interest to him. The first trees of interest were 2 Schwedler Maples; one of the very first with red/purple color leaves.  When he lived in Texas for a few years he planted 2 Live Oak trees that many years later became host trees for Spanish Moss. After returning to Maryland, a Metasequoia was planted at a home in Perry Hall. Later at his son Rick’s home near Washington, D.C., he and his son planted four flowering trees to commemorate the birth of fout great-grandchildren. 

His first cactus was purchased from a Woolworth’s ten cent store when he was perhaps 12 years old.  After many years he had a large greenhouse with a couple thousand succulent plants. He served for a few years as an advisor to the United States Botanical Gardens near the Capitol Building and he judged these plants for 2 years at the Philadelphia Flower Show and for a short time he served on the board of Directors of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. 

During the past 10 years, he enjoyed working on planting flowers and caring for many other plants at the Brantingham Cemetery.  His tombstone commemorates two lines from a song written by Pete Seeger in 1955, “Where have all the graveyards gone, To the flowers everyone.” 

A memorial service at Trinity Episcopal Church will be held 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, with Rev. Ed Murphy officiating. Private burial will be in Brantingham Cemetery. There are no calling hours. 

Arrangements are with the Sundquist Funeral Home where condolences may also be made to the online guest book at www.sundquistfh.com.






Information provided by Sundquist Funeral Home of Lowville and Newzjunky, Watertown, N.Y.