KNOX — A lifelong forester and family man, Frederick W. Oettinger was also active in helping the Knox community as a volunteer firefighter and president of the historical society.

He died peacefully at Our Lady of Mercy Life Center in Guilderland on Friday, June 30, 2017.

He was born in the small town of Valley Cottage, New York in 1925 and was the son of Frederick and Theresa Oettinger. He had two sisters, Marilyn and Phyllis.

Mr. Oettinger graduated from Nyack High School and joined the United States Navy immediately after graduation in 1943. While in the Navy, he received training in Naval and Aviation Sciences at the universities of South Carolina and Georgia.

After completing two-and-one-half years of military duty, Mr. Oettinger enrolled at the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse where he studied general forestry and in 1949 he received his bachelor of science degree and a year later his master’s degree in forestry.

Mr. Oettinger met his wife of 68 years, Helen, in Syracuse and married her in 1948.

In 1950, he started his forestry career in Norwich, New York as a junior forester and a year later transferred to Poughkeepsie where he was promoted to forester. In 1962, Fred moved to Albany where he assumed the role of senior forester and gained experience in the areas of statewide forest products marketing and utilization.

A year later, he was appointed superintendent of Forest Fire Control where he was responsible for all forest fire-related activity in the state.  He also served as national secretary for the Forestry Conservation Communication Association.

In 1970, Mr. Oettinger was promoted to chief forester with the Bureau of State and Private Forestry.  His program areas included statewide private and state forest management, correction and youth camps, forest tree improvement, and forest tree nursery operations.

In 1974, he accepted the position of assistant director of Environmental Conservation Field Services with the Division of Field Services. Then two years later, he moved to the division of Administrative Analysis and Computer Services to work as Chief of the Administrative Analysis Unit.

He ended his career with the Division of Land Resources and Forest Management to assume the role of associate director from which he retired. His strong interest in effective management and a strong sense of leadership was called upon by the Executive Office to assume lead roles in many major department projects.

“Just as Fred’s professional life has always been extremely busy and productive, his personal life has been equally active,” his family wrote in a tribute. “Fred loved living in Knox and had served a total of 33 years as a volunteer fireman, 23 years of which were devoted to the Knox Fire Company where he had held the offices of president, chief, and fire commissioner.”

Other activities included being president of the Knox Historical Society, and involvement in various committees for town government projects.

“He enjoyed being part of the community and enjoyed having his kids grow up in such a wonderful rural environment,” his family wrote.

He planned and helped build a house in Knox to share with his wife in their retirement years where he and Helen ran Cloud Nine Tree Farm for 27 years.  He loved the Adirondacks and Cape Cod throughout his long life and added, when they retired, a place in Florida. He and his wife enjoyed traveling throughout the country and especially enjoyed driving to Alaska.

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Frederick W. Oettinger is survived by his wife, Helen; and by his three children, Fred C. Oettinger and his wife, Lisa, of Penobscot, Maine, Kate Hahn and her husband, Robert, of Gallupville, and James K. Oettinger of Oakdale, Connecticut.

He is also survived by five grandchildren, Fred Oettinger and his wife, Rachel, of Salem, New Hampshire, Nick Oettinger and his wife, Brittany, of Winterport, Maine, Keenen Hahn and his wife, Kirstie (Lee) of Knox, and Ben Oettinger and Brian Oettinger and their mother, Gail Oettinger, of Oakdale, Connecticut; and one great-grandchild, Chase Oettinger of Winterport, Maine.

The family will have a celebration of his life at a later date.

“Thank you to everyone who helped our family through this hard time,” Mr. Oettinger’s family wrote. “Your generosity of friendship and kind words was deeply appreciated.”