Fred Colby
November 5, 1952 ~ April 16, 2013
Fred Colby died peacefully on April 16, 2013 after a brief battle with cancer. Fred was born on November 5, 1952. The son of Fred and Catherine Colby, of Fargo, he attended St. Anthony of Padua Grade School and graduated from Fargo Shanley High School in 1970.
As a child, Fred was an excellent tap dancer and enjoyed his performances with the Shippey Dance School. He mastered a variety of woodwind instruments playing in the Shanley concert, stage, marching, musical and pep bands. At St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, he was active as an altar server and Boy Scout. A member of Troop 211, he earned his Ad Altari Dei award and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Fred enjoyed scouting and became active with the Order of the Arrow, Explorer and Sea Scout programs. In 1969 he attended the National Scout Jamboree and was on staff for the 1973 Scout Jamboree, both held at Farragut State Park, Idaho. In 1977, he joined his father as a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus.
Fred got his first taste of working in radio with KDSU at North Dakota State University in Fargo. He was also involved with many productions at the Little Country Theater as an actor and tech crew member. He graduated from Minnesota State University, Moorhead in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications.
Fred went on to develop his skills in radio broadcast journalism and expand them to television news reporting, writing, editing and anchoring. He held news director and anchor positions in Iowa, North Dakota, Minnesota, California, Wisconsin and Michigan. He received over 50 awards from broadcast and news industry organizations including the Associated Press Managing Editors (APME), the Minnesota Associated Press Broadcasters Association (MAPBA), the Minnesota Broadcasters Association (MBA), and the Northwest Broadcast News Association (NBNA). Among these were numerous first place awards for best newscast, feature story, in-depth stories, investigative reporting and three Eric Sevareid Awards in spot news and broadcast writing. Fred was a member of the Century Club and served as past president of the MAPBA.
In 1975, he married Dena Fraase. They divorced in 1984. In 1990, he married Sandra Reinemann. Fred enjoyed the outdoors, music, reading, especially science fiction and a variety of strategy video games, but he was always absorbed in the “news business”.
Fred is survived by his wife, Sandra, Sheboygan, WI; his children, Neil Colby-Las Vegas, NV, Adam Colby (Alexandra) –Marysville,WA, DeAnna Stalboeger (James)- Fargo, ND, Lynsey Trulicka-Fargo, ND, Marcia Colby, Frederick Colby IV and Eric Colby, all of Minneapolis, MN; three grandchildren-Kristina Colby , Faith Trulicka and Amber Colby. He is also survived by his sisters, Catherine “Kitty” Colby (Loren Rude)-Moorhead, MN and Cecelia O’Keefe (Michael)-Fargo, ND. Also mourning Fred’s loss are his special friends in Menominee, Michigan, Sarah Moore and Ken Dufresne. Heartfelt thanks to them and the staff of the Menominee Senior Center, Bay Area Medical Center, Luther Home of Marinette, WI, and Fr. Mark McQuesten of Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Menominee for their wonderful care and assistance during Fred’s illness.
He was preceded in death by nine infant siblings and his parents, Fred and Catherine Colby.
Fargo ND
My earliest memories of Fred go all the way back to tap dancing at Mrs. Shippey’s. I played the piano for some of her lessons, and to this day, when I hear “Up a Lazy River”, I remember Fred dancing to it.
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad time.