Robert Mike Frederick's Obituary
Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin-top:0in;mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-para-margin-left:0in;line-height:115%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-CA;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA;}A Southern LadIt was a happy day on September 22, 1970 when Mike joined the lively Springfield family in Nashville, Tennessee. He was born to Frankie White and Howard Frederick. Mildred and Bobby loved and nurtured a household of eight siblings: Jean, Gail, Frankie, Billy, David, Michelle, Dennis, and Mike. They grew up to appreciate the warmth of family, the heartache of country music and the comfort of good, down home Southern cooking. Ol’ Blue EyesMike was a down-to-earth man. He was always most comfortable in his blue jeans and thrived in his work as a welder after finishing high school. Underneath his seemingly tough exterior was a very loving, sentimental and romantic fellow with a great sense of humor and deep blue eyes. Those blue eyes captivated Tonya. When Mike proposed to her while working at Shoney’s, she ran away with the ring. Luckily, she returned to him and they were married in January of 1996.He was rarely seen without a hat, and one hat in particular has a special place in his history. It seemed that every time he wore his Chicago White Sox cap, a baby was conceived. It happened with his two sons, Steven and Anthony, his daughter Diana, and later with his daughters Kayla and Jessica. Living by the Golden RuleThe biggest source of pride and accomplishment for Mike came from his children. He was a terrific father who instilled in those around him a keen appreciation for the small things in life. As a stay-at-home Dad with Kayla and Jessica, he passed along his values of self respect, sticking up for what’s right and strong consideration of other peoples’ feelings. He was never too busy to help friends and family and it gave Mike great joy to help other people in any possible way. Loving LifeHis interests beyond spending time with his children included ghost hunting, playing computer games and fishing. He enjoyed everything about football – even when he played as part of the “sit down line” – and he was an especially avid fan of the Miami Dolphins. The Frederick home was a haven to many animals. At last count, Mike’s Menagerie included eleven dogs, twelve rabbits and three guinea pigs. Mike would have loved to add a few fascinating snakes, but that’s where Tonya drew the line. Mike and Tonya enjoyed travelling with the family. He loved to go fishing, and was thrilled to see the Titanic on a recent trip. On the road or at home, he always had a strong appetite for his favorite Southern foods like corn bread and tacos. He could never resist a home-cooked meal of meat loaf or white-meat turkey with dressing. A Circle UnbrokenAs much as Mike liked his country music, he was a huge fan of Ozzie Osborne. Like Ozzie, Mike made his presence known with his outgoing personality and his love of life. He faced many challenges in life, but he always led with a joke. Beneath the humor was a caring, sensitive man whose first priority was to protect his family. “Will the circle be unbroken?” asks Mike’s favorite all-time song. The answer is, definitely not. Although Mike’s life was cut short on July 24, 2012, the circle of love and safety that Mike created will last long beyond his passing.
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