Fred D. Warner

As the sun came up over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains on Friday, February 28th, Our loving husband, father, grandfather and mentor stepped into the light after a hard fought battle with cancer.

Fred was a native Californian who grew up surfing and diving along the coast at Bodega Bay and among the kelp in Monterey Bay, and hiking along the American River near his home. He attended San Francisco State University where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science. He focused on cell biology and earned his PhD at the University of Chicago. After completing postdocs at UC Berkeley and Yale University, he continued his NIH-funded research at Syracuse University, where he also taught biology and electron microscopy. He especially enjoyed teaching anatomy and physiology to medical students at Upstate University, adjacent to the SU campus. His research in the biochemistry of cell motility with the use of electron microscopy contributed to the foundation of modern medical research.

Fred was an active outdoorsman who enjoyed skiing, hiking, camping, and canoeing. He was devoted to his family and spent as much time as he could with them in the mountains and at home in rural upstate New York. He also excelled at archery and occasionally coached members of the US Women’s Olympic Team. After retiring to Santa Fe in 1997, Fred connected with the outdoor community at REI, where he worked as an expert ski boot fitter and a bike technician. He added mountain biking and road biking as well as mountain climbing to his skills. Always the scientist, he was interested in the technology of every sport he engaged in, learning how to adjust and care for his equipment. He was always ready to teach others. In later life, his appreciation of music inspired him to delve into the world of sound technology. As always, he reached for those perfect moments that make life worth living.

Fred will be missed by his wife, Judith McNally Warner; his children Jeffrey (Heidi), Lorien (Eric Blehm), Amber (Paul Kinney) and Evan (Maggie); his sisters Beth Louargand (Knute Kovach) Laura Spillers (John) and Gail Warner; his niece Aimee Marcum (Joshua); and grandchildren Reade, Tate, Merrick, McKinley, and Callia.

A private service was held for the immediate family at Rivera Funeral Services..