Frederic D. Wells ’66

Frederic D. Wells ’66, of Damascus, Md., formerly of Lake Placid, N.Y.; Nov. 19, after an extended illness. After graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and completed officer training school. He volunteered to fly tactical reconnaissance in Southeast Asia and was assigned to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon, Vietnam, from June 1968 to June 1969. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross, as well as additional awards for his exemplary combat flying performance. He subsequently served with NATO operations at RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire, England, and Zweibrücken Air Base in West Germany. He was honorably discharged with the rank of captain in 1972. Returning to the U.S., he attended Golden Gate University and earned his MBA. He married and moved to the Village of Lake Placid and worked for the Town of North Elba. During the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid he was a volunteer at the cross-country skiing and biathlon events. In 1984, he and his family relocated to Bethesda and he worked in commercial real estate. They moved to Damascus in 1987 and he worked as an analyst in IT and management consulting. In retirement, he enjoyed volunteering with his wife at the Friends of the Library, Damascus Chapter, as well as the Damascus Heritage Society Museum. He also enjoyed boating, swimming, hiking, long distance running, and building his Wee Lassie canoe by hand. He is survived by his wife, Susan; a daughter; a son; two grandchildren; a sister; a stepsister; and six nieces and nephews.