CHESHIRE-Frederick Charles Loveless, 84, passed away on May 7, 2015 surrounded by his adoring family. He was a devoted husband to his soul mate, Jane Anne Loveless, for sixty years.
Fred grew up in Ogdensburg, a town nestled on the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. Raised by his parents Frederick Weaver Loveless and Thelma Worden Loveless, he enjoyed a simple but beautiful life with his younger sister, Patsy. He loved all sports, but excelled in basketball and was known to have a mean underhanded foul shot. Even more than sports, Fred loved chemistry. From an early age he looked at things and wondered why and what if? Fred was salutatorian of his high school graduating class and earned several scholarships to various universities. He had narrowed down his options, St. Lawrence University or Cornell University. When learning of these opportunities it was an easy choice for the Loveless family. Cornell was charging him a $100.00 dorm fee and St. Lawrence University offered a full ride to this brilliant young man. Off to St. Lawrence University in the Fall of 1949, Fred hitchhiked to college, his suitcase to the brim with hopes and dreams.
He graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1953 with a BS in Chemistry. During his time at St. Lawrence, Fred needed a short girl to take to a dance. It was Jane Anne, five foot one with Elizabeth Taylor features, that accepted his invitation and it was Jane Anne that remained the love of his life until his last breath. They were married on a snowy day, December 27, 1954, took a bus ride to Syracuse from the wedding ceremony for a two day honeymoon with fifty dollars in their pockets. Dinner that night was chocolate bars, a wedding gift from Fred's Dad. They had nothing and everything at the same time. Fred continued his studies at University of Rochester where he earned his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1958.
Uniroyal quickly hired Fred out of college where he worked in their department of research and development in Wayne, NJ. During his employment there, he developed a patent for a new puncture proof tire called the "Royal Seal" for automobiles. The tire proved a huge success for the company and it became a standard feature on many luxury automobiles. In 1972, he and his sweetheart, along with their three girls, relocated to Cheshire, CT as Fred accepted a position at Uniroyal's Word Headquarters in Oxford, CT. His reputation as an innovative and prolific researcher was solidified during his 28 years of service at Uniroyal.
In 1986, Fred and Jane packed up and moved to Yardley, PA, where Fred started a new position as head of research and development at Mobil Chemical Corporation. While there, Fred devised a new and improved version of Mobil One Motor Oil. He was awarded 78 patents in the field of polymer chemistry before he retired in 1998. He was a highly regarded, world renowned scientist and inventor for his creative work with synthetic lubricants, rubbers and elastics.
Fred and Jane relocated to Middlebury, CT in 1998 where they enjoyed more frequent visits from daughters Lisa, Susan and Cindy and their growing families. Fred remained an avid Cleveland Browns fan his entire life. He read voraciously and especially enjoyed books on scientific theories and discoveries. Every day, Fred would play chess by himself while enjoying a puff on his pipe. He could be heard whistling everywhere he went and most of the time was not aware he was whistling! Many hours were spent on brain puzzlers to challenge his curious mind. Fred possessed a love of nature and appreciated the simple things in life: a good beer, quiet talks on his porch, a night of star gazing, his feet in the sand. He was soft spoken, witty and selfless. Fred made friends wherever he went and was loved dearly by all that knew him well.
Along with his wife, Jane Anne, he leaves his sister Patricia Conway of Watertown, NY and her husband Ken, three daughters, Marylisa Edwards and her husband Charles of Horseheads, NY, Susan Talbot and her husband James of Cheshire, CT and Cindy Pezzullo and her husband Larry of Woodbury, CT. Fred also leaves six granddaughters and one grandson as well as eight great grandchildren.
The family will receive visitors at the Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home , 235 main St. North Southbury, CT on Wednesday, May 13, from 5:00-8:00 pm. A memorial service will be held at the funeral home on Thursday, May 14, at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital at [email protected]/* */ in his memory. Online condolences may be made through www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com.