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Fedrick
The city’s Fine Arts Fiesta has lost one of its board members, King’s College has lost a professor, but most important the area has lost a gentleman.
Howard B. Fedrick of Laflin, a prolific member of the downtown festival who pioneered the fiesta’s Internet audience, and a member of the history department at King’s College, passed away Wednesday at the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. He was 67.
David Kerr, president of the board of the Fine Arts Fiesta, had known Fedrick since they met at a board meeting nearly 25 years ago. He said Fedrick’s lasting impression on those he met in the community was one of unconditional kindness and generosity.
“Howard was a wonderful person and a conscientious member of our community that felt the fiesta was the finest gift of the arts the area has to offer,” said Kerr, who added that this year’s 56th annual event will partly be in tribute to the late past board president.
“He was a nice person. He had the ability to see all angles of a problem, and that is unique.”
Kerr said that Fedrick was the catalyst for the fiesta reaching a broader audience — creating the event’s online profile. He also acted as the public relations officer who was instrumental in the program guide for the fiesta.
On Fedrick as an educator, Dr. Paul Zbiek, professor of History and Geography at King’s, remembered fondly how students not only learned from the lectures and exams in Fedrick’s classes, but also more about how to live a moral life.
“They (his students) certainly received an education, but they got Howard the person. He gave so much to his students,” said Zbiek, who added that Fedrick had been at the college for close to 20 years.
Fedrick’s obituary is on Page 8A.