Fred William Burmeister

Fred William Burmeister of Westfield, Indiana, passed away, leaving behind a lifetime of incredible stories, laughter and cherished memories. Born in Saginaw, Michigan, he attended Arthur Hill High School before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1961.

As an electronics technician aboard the USS Saratoga, Fred deployed twice to the Mediterranean Sea and Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, bravely climbing the ship’s communications tower at sea—stories that grew more harrowing (and possibly more exaggerated) with each retelling. After his service, he moved to back to Michigan where he met his lovely wife, Barbara who he married in January of 1970.

Embarking on an extraordinary career with the CIA, he worked under the name Glenn Donzolot, Fred repaired crypto equipment in Thailand during the Vietnam War. There were parties with farting baby elephants and trips up country involving tigers, but we’ve already said too much. 

With the birth of his son, William (Bill) Burmeister, Fred and his wife, Barbara, moved from Thailand to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and eventually settled in Goshen, where he built a long career as a service technician for Xerox. A technology enthusiast before it was cool, Fred filled their home with Atari consoles, always acquiring more games than his kids could master.

A lifelong lover of cars and motorcycles, Fred could fix, tinker and build just about anything. He and Barbara shared a love of camping, upgrading from a pop-up trailer to a hard-sided camper before finally settling into the comfort of a 5th wheel during retirement. 

He also had a soft spot for kitties, even agreeing to adopt the feline his daughter smuggled into her college dorm once it was discovered by authorities.

Fred loved Elvis Presley, Fleetwood Mac and Johnny Cash. Much to his daughter Carin’s delight, he made sure she knew every word to “Chantilly Lace” and they sang it together often. He had an unmatched sense of humor, a quick wit and an infectious smile.

In retirement, Fred moved to Tennessee to be close to family and worked at a copy shop, where he became an unexpected supermodel, gracing local newspaper ads and drawing customers eager to see the handsome, local celebrity.

He loved playing on the floor with his grandkids when they were little, filling their childhood with laughter.

Fred is survived by his daughter, Carin (Burmeister) McBroom, and her husband, Fred, along with their twin sons, Freddie and Henry (10); and his son, William (Bill) Burmeister, and his wife, Stacey, along with their children, Emma (10) and Nick (7). He was preceded in death by his father, Stanley Burmeister and mother, Mary Penz Burmeister.

Fred’s adventurous spirit, humor and deep love for his family are dearly missed, but his stories—some true, some perhaps enhanced—will live on forever.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Humane Society For Hamilton County in his honor.