“When in doubt, call Fred.” That is a tried-and-true saying in our office. Any time you need him – Fred is there to save the day. Lost a file? Call Fred. Need remote access? Call Fred. Had your laptop explode because you downloaded a virus after business hours? Call Fred.
Fred has been with us for 18 years. Through all the ups and downs, the office moves and the changing technology landscape – Fred has been our steady guide through it all. We’re so lucky to have him on our team and in our family. To honor Fred, we wanted to pull memories from the SMW team. The thoughts that follow reflect our appreciation, affection and respect for Fred.
Fred – thank you for being with us.
Thoughts and memories from SMW:
Jeffrey
Fred has always been really witty, and he is such a kind-hearted guy. Usually, IT guys are nerdy and uptight. We joke around with him and he gives it right back. Typically, it’s hard for guys like me to deal with IT staff; it’s great to have someone we can talk to in real terms and get what we need. Not everyone has that luxury. We rely heavily on him to take care of things. He’s a great guy. When I think about Fred, I always remember the time he wore two left shoes. We were at Mistral for the SMW holiday party, and Fred showed up late. He was coming in hot – as usual. We noticed that he was wearing two different-color shoes. Both of the shoes were for the left foot!
Tony
Fred is just so responsive. For someone you don’t see, he’s always so fast to get back to you. We share a love of BBQ and cooking. He’s a real hands-on guy – he cuts his own firewood. Fred is always pleasant, and always in a good mood. And he fixes everything.
Adam
Fred is the best. We appreciate everything he does. Whenever we have a problem, he is the first person to get on the phone with us, and he always walks us through to the solution. I’m always trying to convince Fred that what I have is broken so I can get the latest tech update. Usually, he goes along with it.
Paul
Fred is awesome. He’s such a great guy. I remember the first time I met him. I’m not a computer guy, so we might speak different languages, but we found common ground and a shared sense of humor. He accepted mine, and we became fast friends. I enjoy his company and his professionalism. He has become family to our company. He’s always there to solve problems when they happen. He’s just a really good guy.
He has taught me to call him when something doesn’t work. He has taught me important aspects of the computer. On the personal side, he’s really a stand-up guy. I learned that he is a good cook and I find that interesting. He tells me what he cooked over the weekend. Mostly we have a very enjoyable banter with each other that I have always enjoyed. He really is family to us. We would never do anything without him. He has a vital function with our organization. But more than that, we rely on him completely. We just do what he tells us to do – that’s how much we trust him. I have great admiration and trust for Fred.
Michelle
Fred is amazing. He always answers my calls right away. When I was doing my new-employee onboarding, he got me set up without any issues. He’s just such a nice guy, especially compared to the IT people that I’ve encountered in the past. Fred is awesome!
Jenn
Fred has always been super professional, but he’s also like a family member. He’s always reliable and available. Being a remote worker, any time I have a problem he just logs on and quickly does his thing. I know I’m in good hands.
Maureen
Fred is my lifeline. He is everything to me and to us in here. Every time I call him, he answers. Morning, noon, night, weekends – Fred is there. If I lose a file, can’t open something, or face the blue screen of death – as soon as I call Fred, he gets back to me. He’s the best. He always takes care of everything. I’ll say it again: Fred is the best!! Fred has taught me so much – all the programs he has given me help me do my job better. During Covid, everything went down. Fred met me in a Shaw’s parking lot. He put monitors in the back of his truck, and I went over and got them. He set me up and did everything. Whatever it is, I call Fred and he is there for me, and he always has been from the first day I started working here.
Diane
Our former IT company had been with us since forever. My dad (Bruce) had taken IT lessons from the owner of that company back when computers first came out. Bruce then helped this owner establish a client base in the IT consulting field. Fast forward to 2006, we had a fire in our office here and had to temporarily relocate. As you can imagine, it was hellish setting up a temporary office – especially the IT stuff. We had to get all new servers, brand-new computers – the entire IT package.
Our IT company had just brought on Fred. I remember that weekend of the fire I was here with the IT guys. I hadn’t slept at all because of the stress of trying to get the office workable for our team. I remember one of their guys just wasn’t very helpful. I asked for help several times and he just said ‘no, you can’t do that’ to all my requests. A few days later, Fred came in and he was the one helping me. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this guy is really good and really nice.’ So, I asked him if we can do this and that – all the requests that the other IT guy, Fred’s colleague from the same company, had flatly rejected. Fred’s reply to every request for help was always: ‘Yes, we can do that.”
A few years later, we brought him on as our only IT guy. I can’t say enough about him. Late at night, early in the morning – he’s always there to help. If I can’t find files, if files get corrupted, if I’m working out of town – Fred always answers the phone. He’s always calm, with a cheerful ‘can-do’ attitude. He is never negative – ever. Through office moves, personal moves – he’s so steady. We’re spoiled to have him with us and benefit from the way he enables us to do our jobs. The way technology is changing, and with growing security issues – it’s so reassuring to have Fred with us. He’s always 10 steps ahead of the IT curve and on top of all those developments. Fred is just the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, and it’s a real pleasure to work with him.
Ross
I was surprised to find out he worked for the Patriots. He was responsible for Tully Banta-Cain having won NFL Rookie of the Week because of a program he put together. He ran the Patriots’ website and their social media before most teams had these programs. At one time, the Patriots had the largest social media presence of any sports organization in the nation. That was because of Fred. As a person, he has been a great help to me because I’m computer illiterate (though I’m not as bad as Paul). Fred always jumps right in and helps me out with anything I need. He’s a big asset, for sure.
Bryan
I have several stories where Fred bailed me out. One time, I mistakenly sent an email to a client that contained bad language. This was a long time ago. The client was very demanding to begin with, and I thought I was forwarding it to a colleague but I actually sent the email to the client. As soon as I hit ‘send,’ I realized the mistake I made. I immediately called Fred, screaming about how I “need to un-send” this client email. Unfortunately, as I learned from Fred, you can only un-send internal emails. Fred is the best – everything about him. He’s a great guy who’s always available and will do whatever you need him to do.
Dayle
When in doubt, call Fred. As everyone knows, I have a crazy balancing act managing my work and home life. I asked Fred if there was any way I could make my home calendar sharable with my husband so we could coordinate kid stuff. Fred paused and asked me if I was sure I wanted to share my calendar with my husband – as if I had a boyfriend I was hiding or something!
Fred is so approachable. We’ve known him for nearly 20 years. When you think of someone in the IT field, you think of them as being really nerdy. He may be a ‘computer geek,’ but he has a real personality. He’s funny, and he’s a good sport when we make fun of him. He’s really a part of the team and a part of the SMW family.
