Fredrick James Carreo was born on December 30, 1939 in Jersey City, New Jersey to Dominic and Margaret (Belle) Carreo. Fred served in the US Navy for four years which included time on an ice breaker in the Antartic and often talked about his time stationed in New Zealand.

 

Fred met his wife Marcia Soverinsky in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, and it was love at first site. He brought Marcia back home to New Jersey, they were married and had five children.  Almost enough family for a baseball team, which was his favorite sport. Fred worked construction and spent his spare time building the house his children would grow up in.  When Fred wasn't using his hands to build things, he loved to paint and draw.

 

After a vacation in Arizona, Fred went back to NJ, loaded his wife and kids in the station wagon and headed west to live out the rest of his life. He was a lover of the sun and it would be rare to see him without a tan or his hair perfectly combed. 

 

June 6th, 1999, Fred made Mayo Clinic history, by being the first liver transplant recipient at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Arizona. Fred survived falling off of a roof, a liver transplant, a horrible auto accident in which he broke his neck to finally succomb to Alzheimers. He was a fighter, a lover and had a heart of a child. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and granddogs.

 

We will miss his laughter, his smile and his many stories about growing up in Jersey City. We take peace in knowing that what he left behind is so much more important than what he took with him.

 

Thank you for visiting and please share your fondest memory of Fred.