Fred Kicia

Fred Kicia was born on May 4, 1938, to Pelagia and John Kicia; the 7^th of 8 children. He was born in Bonneyville and raised in the Willow Trail district on a mixed farm.  Fred attended school in Willow Trail, LaCorey and high school in Glendon.  The Kicia family moved into Edmonton in 1956 and Fred worked for various companies until he settled down to work for Fabricare Dry Cleaners where he worked for 8 years. He married Anne Holub (deceased in 1985) in 1959 and they had 3 children; Wendy, Ken and Wayne.  In 1967 Fred and Anne moved their family to Hinton AB, where Fred serviced Hinton, Grand Cache, Jasper and Valemount for Fabricare.   Fred loved baseball and when the town of Hinton approached him to see if would get a minor league going, he eagerly volunteered.  With the help of an assistant, Louise Karlowich, he rounded up donations and sponsors and got the league started.  He fondly remembered his time with Hinton minor baseball and the kids he coached.  Fred went to work for Cardinal River Coal in 1973 and worked there until 1986.  He then worked for Lindsey Thompson on the CRC mine site doing environmental reclamation.  Fred and his crew did the reclamation of Sphinx Creek; building dams, constructing gravel beds, and planting hundreds of trees and shrubs.  He was very proud of this work, as they were able to entice trout to re-enter the creek with weed beds they started on the benches. The trout spawned in the gravel beds and populated a lake that was once an old coal pit.  In 1990 Fred returned to work at CRC as a driller and worked there until he was injured on the job in 1999.

                In 1992, Fred met Janet Bachelder and they married in 1994.  Fred and Janet enjoyed time together horseback riding throughout much of the back country around Hinton, Grande Cache and Jasper. Between them they have 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

                Fred was predeceased by his parents John and Pelagia; 2 brothers – Peter and Cornell; 3 sisters – Anne, Emily and Lucy; and grandson Brandon.

                Fred leaves to mourn his passing his loving wife Janet, daughter Wendy (Ron), sons Ken (Rhonda) and Wayne (Keverly); Stepchildren Marsha, Clint (Janette) and Cindy (Scott).  He is also lovingly remembered by all his wonderful grandchildren and great grandchildren.

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