Brother Frederic Altenburg, FSC 1930-2010

Eulogy given by
Br. Joseph Radice, FSC

Reverend Fathers, devoted family, Provincial staff, fellow Brothers, nurses and CNAs, staff of De La Salle Hall, friends, and volunteers, we are here to celebrate the eternal life of Brother Fred Altenburg.

“I will pass through this life but once; any good that I can do for others, let me not put it off or neglect it, for I will not pass this way again.”

When Brother Michael Finnegan told me of Brother Fred’s death, in the very next breath Brother Mike heralded our staff, administration, CNAs and nurses for their heroic and compassionate care of Brother Fred. There is no place on earth where such attention would be given. De La Salle Hall! Let’s give a standing ovation to our administrator, CNAs, nurses and staff and our Brothers for the wonderful care given to our Brother Fred.

Brother Fred would have wanted this, as he always said “thank you” in the throes of his illness. He knew that he was in the hands of others. Harry, our driver, recounts that one day he sat with Fred and had a discussion. As Fred was having difficulty choosing his words, Harry saw a great smile from his head to his toes. Fred’s whole body laughed. He was also a truly family man. On a regular basis, he would visit his brother Ronnie’s family and his Mom who was in a nursing home in Buffalo, NY. And Fred was truly a Christian Brother. The vows he took were like marriage; vows to God for better or worse, in sickness and health. He was a creative man. As soon as he retired from teaching, he marched off to the University of Buffalo for a MS degree in Library Science, and, to top that, Fred went for a Masters degree in Theology at Manhattan College – so he could better understand what was happening to the Church after Vatican II.

I lived with Fred in Buffalo where he went for his MA in Library Science. Since he couldn’t drive, he took the bus on Kenmore Avenue to the University of Buffalo. Many cold, snowy nights he would wait for that bus which didn’t run too frequently. But Fred was determined to get that degree and he put up with the cold waits. He was most grateful if a Brother would offer him a ride.

At Manhattan College Fred was always willing to help out in any way that he could. Whatever job was assigned to him, he willingly accepted it and tried to be as helpful as he could. Fred never said no when a Brother asked him for help.

And this man loved a good time. While he was very attentive to his studies, Fred played too. When I was the Director of the Buffalo community, Fred and I would take car rides. One day he took his camera and I got the keys to the car to drive in the countryside for autumn scenes. After an hour ride, we ended up in Attica, NY, the place of the famous Attica prison. We saw an old man fishing in a pond across from the prison. Fred asked him if he knew anything about the prison. And the man responded emphatically that he was a retired guard from Attica prison. The former guard mentioned how guards befriended the inmates by taking cosmetics, cigarettes, etc. into the prison. He also volunteered information about the prison cemetery. So Fred and I drove up the hill to the tombstones. We noticed no names on the stones, just serial numbers. Fred lay in the grass to take pictures of the graves. Soon guards came on the scene and asked what business we had on prison property. We were lost for words. Fred and I high-tailed it back to the car. The next day an article in the newspaper reported how friends of the prisoners would drop drugs on the grounds in the cemetery and the honorees would take it to the inmates. Needless to say, going with Fred and me was a real combination for adventure!

And so, when at last our earthly home is dissolved, give us a home not of earthly making but built on eternity in heaven.

Hello and good-bye, Brother Fred.

Live Jesus in our hearts – forever!