Fredric Joseph Schulte

October 19, 1939 - February 18, 2022

A Life Well Lived... Born on the Eastside in Grosse Pointe the always fun, usually happy and seemingly larger than life “Husband, Dad, Grandpa and just plain Uncle” Fred has left this world now for a better place. As a youngster he grew up in the wholesome radio era, listening to The Lone Ranger, and living in an Ozzie and Harriet neighborhood, playing sports, games and enjoying a carefree yet almost too quaint childhood. The second of three boys, followed later by two younger sisters, all enrolled in private, Catholic School, Fred enjoyed time away from the nuns in the post war boom as he rock ‘n rolled into the fabulous fifties. His record collection and taste in music was vast, as was his baseball card collection (so we’ve been told) however those iconic Topps sports cards were somehow accidentally discarded over time. Benny Goodman and Sing, Sing Swing music transitioned to his AM car radio during his teenage years working as a bagger at the local A & P, and smoking Lucky Strikes. Cruisin’ through the Village and on the Hill this Austin High School Class of 1957 jock excelled on the basketball court, until an underclassman named Dave Debusschere knocked him off of the starting rotation. (Debusschere would go on to be a college stand out, play in the MLB and later NBA Hall of Famer) The lanky 6’2” Fred still made friends easily and after graduating he then motored his way to Notre Dame for a year. Too much fun? Well maybe. A more grounded University of Detroit seemed to be a better fit for Fred as he transferred back home achieving a BA in 1962 in Philosophy…. What to do with that??? Like his father before him, this Titan was good in finance, and Detroit Bank & Trust Co. was hiring so he signed up. Somewhere around this time Fred was attending a friend’s wedding when a pretty girl, with another beau, caught his eye on the dancefloor. Here the actual facts of the events are unclear but, according to Betty, it was “love” at first sight and Betty became Fred’s steady. A storybook whirlwind romance soon followed with a November 9th wedding in 1963. Then Registered Nurse Bettyanne Gruber and Banker to be Fred Schulte spent the next 58 years together, just as it was meant to be. Uncle Sam got him not too long later as he was drafted into the Army Reserves, rising to the rank of Sergeant. D.B.& T. was good to them as they began to raise a family in a little ranch house in Roseville. Along the way, there was always time for fun, rides in the car to faraway places like Gaylord, and weekend adventures in the country. How about catching a double-feature at the Gratiot Drive-In? And bowling leagues, golf leagues, softball, basketball and later coaching, scouting, camping and volunteering for every imaginable school function was in the cards. Speaking of cards, late night euchre, pinochle and bridge get-togethers with close friends and family were regularly in the cards! How about real-life “now vintage” Twister games with friends on the floor in the family room on Heritage Road in Sterling Heights? Complete with Bob Dylan, The Chad Mitchell Trio, Peter Paul & Mary and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass on the stereo, grasshoppers in the blender and cold shrimp cocktail passed around that quad-level corner lot house, but only among the adult guests. How exotic the ‘60s and ‘70s were living right across the street from Margaret Black Elementary School! Each morning would start with Dad getting ready for work, putting on a suit and tie while Mom made lunch and off the kids went to school but not before the kiss goodbye and the famous drive-by wave that Fred would do every single day by that red front door. Even when the bank later became Comerica and the branch was in the opposite direction, Fred still drove the longer way around the front of the house to wave to us all at the front door. A word about work, houses and cars….. Because Fred was such an honest and trustworthy person, he seemed to have a special skill that immediately gained the confidence of whomever he was with. This was true with lots of his friends, most of his relatives and certainly all of his in-laws. Everybody trusted Fred. Afterall, he was tall, married to Betty and he was a banker. Later we discovered that there was much more to it, that he was a man of his word and an excellent judge of character. In fact after 32 years with the bank he was able to retire not because he had to but because his own skills of loan approval were taken away by off-site bean-counters and committees. The old-time ability to give a good guy a break, or a loan was no longer the way of the big-business banks. Time for this philosophy major to buy a bookstore! Speaking of buying, have you ever met a person who has purchased a house sight unseen, just because he knows the person who owns it, and he was a good person? Fred did that. And that place was the beloved Naubinway cottage, UP North. And he repeated this sort of transaction many times with family, friends and customers over the years. Fred was thrifty. He knew a good deal though, and acted conservatively before he pounced. Grandpa Gruber’s Chevy Bel Aire, the ‘70 Dodge Dart, Harry Slater’s ‘61 Cadillac, the jeweler’s Mercury Capri- all second-hand cars that Fred bought because he knew the owners were good people who took care of their things. And then there were those “executive car deals,” ushered in by friends. A few come to mind such as an AMC Matador wagon, a Dodge Spirit & the Chrysler Sebring, which was the last car Fred drove. Sometimes he did not even know the color, features or even the make and model of the car until he’d bring it home! Always though, a reasonable price and undoubtedly some interesting back story to tell. As time marched on and Mike, Matt and Kathy came along, grew-up and eventually moved out to start families of their own, Fred and Betty settled down. NOT! They became empty nesters and were constantly on the go throughout the 80s, 90s and 2000s when grandchildren began arriving. Dozens of cruise ship vacations, many weeks of relaxing time in the U.P., lots of winter months in Florida and the constant planning that was always underway for the next trip or visit with friends and family to some new place yet to be explored. Now known as the first people ever to move from Sterling Heights back south to Warren, Fred enjoyed condo living in his later years watching sports, still playing games and always available for advice, a talk on the phone with the grandkids or working on some collection or another that needed organizing. Stamps, coins, classic novels, whatever! Even later on as his mobility was challenged he still wanted to participate, and always wanted to win. Though sometimes frustrated by his physical limitations, his mental capacity did not diminish. He was known via inner circles for coordinating an overly complicated NCAA March Madness betting pool, a tradition for some 15+ years. He last swung a golf club in the summer of ‘21, was fiercely competitive in words with friends online, and was difficult to beat in scrabble and rummy cube, right up until the end. A regular dose of Labatt’s Blue helped him along. So many great stories. So many wonderful memories. And an awful lot of living life in between. He certainly had his moments, and who here hasn’t been punned by Fred? Now commonly referred to as the “Schulte Humor,” plays on words, a bit of sarcasm and quick witted replies are unique traits that Fred possessed. Thank God some of these traits, along with a healthy dose of integrity, trust and honesty have been spread out among the rest of us. RIP DAD. Beloved husband of Betty for 58 years. Loving father of Michael (Jacqulyn), Matthew (Ellen), and Kathryn (Jason) Dale. Cherished grandfather of Allison, David, Eric, Faythe, Chase, and Alexander Dale. Dearest brother of John, Paul, Linda Flaherty, and the late Ann (John) Puppi. Treasured uncle of Terry (Jeff) Zelenak, Tim (Barbara) McCaffrey, Nancy (Mark) Golazewski, (Susan) and the late James McCaffrey, Barbara (Tom) Brege, Dan (Mindy) McCaffrey, Judy (John) Farrell, Colleen (Jerome) Kunert, Ken (Becky) McCaffrey, Joe (Beth) McCaffrey, MaryAnne McCaffrey, Kevin (Lisa) McCaffrey, Sheila (Dan) McLean, Sharon (Thomas) Alred, Anne (Brian) Minbiole, John (Jenny) Gruber, Greg (Jackie) Gruber, Andrew Flaherty, Christian (Ashley) Flaherty, Joseph (Jemilah) Flaherty and Nicholas Puppi, and dozens and dozens of great and great-great nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Margaret. **In lieu of flowers, donations to the Capuchin Mission Association or the Capuchin Soup Kitchen would be greatly appreciated, www.cskdetroit.org **