Fred Culas

Fred, birthname Alfredo Angelio Culas, was born during the Great Depression on February 20, 1929, and returned to our Heavenly Father on April 26, 2023, at the age of ninety-four (94). He is survived by his six children with their spouses, Carlos and Gloria, Roberto and Jessamine, Josephine and Kenneth, Alfredo, Jr. and Imelda, Francis and Beth, and Vincent and Rowena, many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. At an early age, Fred was always curious about fixing things where he tinkered with electrical and mechanical objects which led to his earning a degree in Electrical Technology.

He was only 12 years old when WWII broke out in the Pacific, but he was already determined to join the service at a young age. Following the end of WWII, he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he trained with U.S. personnel under the direction of now-defunct Philippine Scout, an equivalent to Army Ranger of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Fred held numerous jobs as an electrician, including years of overseas work in the Middle East. He was the sole breadwinner in the family, supporting his stay-home wife and six children to ensure that they were well cared for. With his income overseas, he was able to send his children to schools and all attended at least some college and most of them graduated.

To his friends and family, Fred is remembered to be a genuine altruist because of his generosity. He learned of being benevolent at a youthful age growing up in San Andres, Leyte, Philippines, where poverty was prevalent. He knew what poverty was like, and sharing his little wealth was a way to “give back.”  One friend remembered an occasion when he would share his food with anyone visiting him in his humbled apartment, even if the food was his last meal. His attitude of putting others first and not “me” attitude was one that Fred would always be remembered. His generosity spoke volumes about him that could only be compared to the great Mother Theresa.