Community Homes Resident of the Month Fred Waranavage loves living a simple life.

The simple life suits our December Resident of the Month Fred Waranavage, just fine, thank you.
Fred was born and raised in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania until circumstances brought him to Myerstown and his now home as a resident of Tuplehocken Terrace a little over a year ago.

“I love it here”, Fred quickly volunteers, “I was welcomed immediately by the staff, particularly Bonnie and Charlotte, and my fellow residents, And I am closer to my son Tom and his wife Patricia, who live near here. The move was a very good decision”.

Fred lost his wife of 41 years, Linda, to terminal cancer, in Tamaqua. He was retired, and his family was in Lebanon County, so the change of scenery was, in his word, “a natural”.

Fred, is a 1966 graduate of Tamaqua High School, where he played and enjoyed football. Today, the football (and other sports) “genes” belong to grandson Jack, where he excels in multiple spots at Cedar Crest High School. His son Tom also played football, so there is a three-generation family tradition connected to the sport.

Jack’s older sister Katelyn is a student at Duquesne and hopes someday to be a lawyer.

Life in Tamaqua for Fred led him from high school to a long career at the JE Morgan Knitting Mill in Tamaqua. He was a supervisor/machinist for most of his career there. But the most important connection to the Mill, was meeting Linda, his wife. “After we married, we did everything together”, Fred says, “and that includes hunting, fishing, and golf. I was blessed to have her with me
True to his “simple life” style, Fred has a lifelong love of hunting and fishing. He is still pursuing his fishing passion in Myerstown.
Fred is neither a smoker or a drinker, but still observes about his longevity, “Me and Cheech and Chong made it through the sixties” he says with a smile.

His constant companion today is his constant companion Bullet, a 14-year-old beagle, who accompanied him from Tamaqua. “I love this dog. And he keeps me in shape. We take long walks together”.

When asked “What makes you proud”? Fred thought briefly, then said, “I have been a good person all my life. I never drank or smoke, but most importantly, my children and grandchildren share a mutual love of each other”.

The easy-going simple life? “Just fine with me”, Fred concludes.