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What do you say about Fred Bear ? What you say about the mountains, the streams, the wildlife, the whole outdoors? All those things that defy description with mere words. My dad died in 1966 and I met Fred a couple of years later. Fred filled a void in my life. Like Dick, and I suspect like so many others, Fred became my adopted dad. And he knew it and he accepted it. Fred was a very humble person. He would get embarrassed any time you gave him any well deserved praise or recognition. So Fred, why don't I just say thanks-thanks for sharing your precious time with us-for sharing your invaluable thoughts and experiences-thanks for teaching us to be unselfish, to be kind, and above all to be honest. You showed us to the successful in life is to be respected. I saw you swallow your pride and bite your tongue, but you never gave up your integrity. You taught us that a man's word, that his handshake was worth more than any legal document that we've ever come up with. And in your magic way you got us all involved in the outdoors so we saw the importance of living in harmony with our natural resources and with our wildlife, to respect them and to love them. We're going to hang up your bow Fred, but we won't hang up what you taught us. Every time we go into the woods, you'll go with us. We'll treat the outdoors and its inhabitants with of love and respect that you taught us. Every day we'll live our lives better because of you. You've been held up a bit Fred, with that oxygen cart. I know there were some mountains a little too steep to climb, some trees a little too tricky to get up into, some streams a little too deep and swift to cross. But by God, no more. You can go with us everywhere now. We won't climb a mountain. we won't build a campfire, we won't tell a story, or draw an arrow that you're not there with us. Thanks for showing us all of this. Henrietta, thanks for sharing your Fred with us. And Lord, thanks for giving us Fred. Take good care of him Lord. Give him his bow, his fly rod. Give him your best mountain, your best trout stream, give him your best campsite... because he always did this for us. And Fred, as you wrote on our bows, and told us so many times as you sent us off on our adventures... From up all of us... Happy Hunting, Fred Bear. Memorial service for Fred Bear given by Brig. Gen. Joe Engle May 2, 1988
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