Frederick Edward (Fred) Erhardt, Jr. passed away in the early hours of June 28, 2024. Born in Grand Rapids on April 23, 1939, his childhood was split between Grand Rapids, Detroit and Lexington, KY. He began his secondary education at St. Joseph's Seminary in Grand Rapids, where he met a lifelong group of friends with whom he kept in regular contact. Fred was a lifelong educator, teaching at Grand Rapids Catholic Central before becoming an administrator in schools in Mattawan, Cheboygan, and Jenison, Michigan.

Fred valued family above all else, instilling a deep sense of faith, spirituality and repetitive, bad storytelling. In 1964, Fred married Jeanne Morrissey. They were married for 55 years before Jeanne's death in 2019, raising five children: Fritz (Trudy) of Anchorage, AK, Ellen (Doug) of Grand Rapids, Tim (Susan) of Grand Rapids, Andrew (Patricia) of Zurich, Switzerland, and Michael (Kim) of Grand Rapids. They fostered a sixth child, who is still part of the family, Gerry Poe (Linda) of Grass Lake. They also opened their home to many of their children's friends and anyone who needed a place to stay, living out the motto "All are welcome".

Fred was blessed with 14 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren, who lovingly called him "Boppa." He and Jeanne loved hosting their children, grandchildren, and friends at any and every opportunity or occasion, filling their home with laughter, love, and playful Christmas wrapping paperwad fights.

Fred was a member of St. Paul the Apostle parish, a proud member of the Knights of Columbus, a lifelong bridge player, a regular member of bible study groups, and was an active leader in the Friendship program for Special Needs Adults. Fred loved to golf, even though he was far from a professional. He played often with family and friends into his 80s, particularly cherishing moments in the golf cart with his grandchildren.

Fred was preceded in death by his wife Jeanne, his parents, Fred Sr and Margaret, his brother Mike, his sister Peg and brother-in-law Marv Lummen, as well as his brothers-in-law Dick Grant, Roger Terhaar, and Gene Mason.

The family will greet visitors and well-wishers on Monday, July 22 from 5 PM to 8 PM at Zaagman Memorial Chapel, 2800 Burton St SE, with a rosary at 7:30 PM. An additional hour of visitation will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday, July 23 at St. Paul the Apostle, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 11 AM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Breast Cancer Research Foundation 28 W. 44th Street Suite 609 New York, NY 10036 www.bcrf.org or Grand Rapids Right to Life PO Box 901 Grand Rapids, MI 49509-0901.

For those attending the service, if you wear dress pants and dress shoes, please pay tribute to Fred by wearing white socks, as he did for many years.