Obituary of Fredric Vail

Fredric Lee Vail lived a full 98 years of life, and died peacefully on February 13, 2011. Born in 1913 on the Vail homestead in Lebanon, Oregon, he participated in the advancement of technology through the 20th century, starting as a natural mechanic for the family’s first edition automobiles in the 20s. After logging and harvesting in the Pacific Northwest, he worked as typewriter mechanic to fund his education at Oregon State University. Lee helped redesign the P-138 at Lockheed aircraft in Los Angeles in the early 1940’s, and danced to the big bands on Saturday nights. After the Battle of the Bulge in 1944, he volunteered for the U.S. Army where he was a cartographer and tank gunner, racing to free concentration camp victims in Belgium and Germany. He met the love of his life, Jarmila Tomandlova in Czechoslovakia. They married in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1948. He continued his career as an industrial engineer for Diamond Match and then as a civilian employee for the U.S. Air Force in Sacramento, California. He and Jarma were devoted parents to Mary and John. Many family weekends were spent on California lakes where Lee slalom water skied into his 60’s. Lee was a faithful Christian gentleman and loving father, grandfather, husband and brother. He will be deeply missed by his family, Mary Beth and Alan Ross and his three grandchildren, Lauren, Evelyn and Jeff; his two surviving sisters, Zena Caulley and Elizabeth Cole of Springfield Oregon; son John, nephew Vlada Tomandl of Prague, Czech Republic and many nieces and nephews in the U.S. and Czech Republic. Memorial services will be held on Friday, March 4th at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church at 2:30 p.m. Graveside services will be held in spring of 2012 in Eugene, Oregon. Online condolences may be sent to Lee’s family through the web @www.gayandciha.com.