One of Our Members - Fred West - has passed away

[peter halle]

Many of you may have never read a post here by Fred West.  He has been a member since early on but hasn't been actively posting here in quite some time although I know that he has visited.  Fred has been very active at talkfestool and devoted much time, energy, and resources

It is with sadness that I post here that Fred was recently diagnosed with a fairly rare form of cancer and has come home to spend his remaining days with friends, and family.

It might provide some comfort to Fred, his family, and friends if members here post about thoughts, memories, or all the good experiences that they have / had with Fred.

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When I became a member here I was impressed with the knowledge but more importantly by the sense of camaraderie that several members helped project.  One of those members was Fred.  It was fun to see him expand on his Festool collection and many or his posts were designed I believe to spur on discussion and extract knowledge so that it would be available for others.  It became apparent early on that the forum was also to be a launchpad for friendships.  This was something that I came to embrace.  It has always been one of the reasons that I have enjoyed visiting talkFestool.

Fred embraced the emoticons (smileys) and either had a sticky keyboard ( [poke]), stuttered while typing( [poke] [poke]), or understood that talking about woodworking should be as fun as doing it.  His enthusiasm was contagious.  Fred was the king of the numerous smileys in his posts here.

What I didn't realize early on was that there was another side of Fred.  Fred liked hand tools.  I know that might be heresy to discuss here (kidding), but thru the years Fred did what he could to make sure that hand tools - especially hand planes - didn't become extinct.  Many a plane maker can attest to Fred's assistance in building their exposure thru all sorts of support.  My take is that Fred lived to pay-it-forward.  I know that those he helped will forever remember him and his friendship.  May more be like him.

Fred,   [thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up] [thumbs up]   [sad]

Peter

 

[Corwin]

Sadly, my friend Fred West passed away at his home this morning surrounded by his love ones. 

 

[Theshipstore]

May he Rest in Peace and my his family get thru this hard time

 

[joraft]

A few months after acquiring my first Festools, I found and joined the FOG, it was in early 2008. I noticed some very humorous posts by some guy named Fred West and I replied to them. A few weeks later I got a PM from Fred asking for my phone number, and if it was alright for him to call me. From that first phone call developed a long and close friendship.

At that time some of the guys on the FOG were unhappy with the way things were run and decided to start their own forum (talkFestool). Fred asked me join in as a moderator. I was new to the FOG and Festool products, had no idea about what was going on behind the scenes, and didn't see what I could possibly add. So I declined the job.

Fred didn't give up, and he finally talked me into becoming a moderator there. And am I ever glad he did. The forum took off almost immediately, and I got the chance to meet many great people I would have otherwise never known.

In late 2010 things at the FOG had improved so much that most of the founders of tF decided that the forum had served its purpose. They wanted to shut it down. Fred and I were against that happening and decided to partner up in keeping it going. We were lucky enough to have three great guys, Peter Franks (Poto), Corwin Drenkel (Corwin), and Alex Leslie (Wonderwino) volunteer to help us. We couldn't have done it without them. As sleepy as this forum currently is, there is still quite a bit of work that goes on behind the scenes.

About a year ago I brought up the subject again with Fred of shutting tF down. Even I have begun to feel that it has become so slow that it no longer serves much of a purpose. I got a resounding "No way!". He told me that "talkFestool would be around as long as he was alive". As Fred was my friend I stuck with him. His passing will leave me with a very difficult decision about the forum.

I have just lost the best friend I ever had. I will never be able to replace him.

 

[Administrator_JSVN]

Very sad news indeed.

I knew Fred from my early days at McFeely's many years ago.

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[joraft]

A Tribute to Fred West

 

[Rocky]

Will never be forgotten...see you on the other side.

 

[semenza]

    It was some years ago now but, I was a moderator on tF  with Fred and the others. I recall that he was always  good to work with  behind the scenes, and very accommodating.   We shared interest in Festool of course, as well as the fun of promotional items.

   Sad news to hear.  [sad]

 Here's to Fred the king of smileys ..........................................................

[thumbs up]   [smile]   [cool]   [tongue]   [wink]   [smile]  

[thanks]     Fred for your contributions.

Seth

 

[peter halle]

Fred,

Now your brass will never tarnish, your wood will be knot-free, and your wood shavings will always be whisper thin.

May your friends and family find some comfort in the deeds you have done for others.

Godspeed.

Peter

 

[Brice Burrell]

Very sad news indeed.

I agree very sad. My condolences to his family. 

 

[Kev]

Very sad news.

Sounds like Fred lived a happy life. I'll tip my hat to him and wish his family and friends happiness.

 

[rnt80]

Oh no.  I never had the pleasure to meet Fred in person but the man that I knew online was a tremendously humble, compassionate, intelligent, and giving man.  My condolences to his family.  We've lost a good one.

 

[Bob Marino]

I was informed yesterday of the terminal condition and today of the passing of a truly great and special man - Fred West. After a long struggle, Fred finall succumbed to perhaps to cancer - perhaps the most unfair of all diseases. Fred was a Fog member originally, who ended up founding , along with others, Talk Festool. While TF was originally a break away from the FOG, it later turned into a much smaller forum, more dedicated to things other than Festool, particularly hand tools  - and high end hand tools at that.

I only had the pleasure of meeting Fred one time a few years ago at the (first?) WIA - Woodworking in America show in PA, but he impressed me as a generous, thoughtful, intelligent and plain downright decent man.  

Though he owned a slew of Festool (and other power tools), his passion was for hand tools, I'm thinking as much a patron as a customer.

For those who have never heard of Fred, to try to give you a measure of the man, I will post just 2 items.
The first is  from neil c - a long time FOG member and the second, a link to a tribute from those in the hand tool world who knew him well.

 Bob

_________

From Neilc

"Wow

I'm in shock to hear this news.

I met Fred through TalkFestool and went to WIA for three years running at his encouragement. What a guy. What a generous guy.

I don't know all the details on how TalkFestool got started except it was a spinout from the original Festool Owners Group. But Fred and John and others got together and built this community not only to support Festool fans, but fans of wonderful handmade tools. That's what Fred did - connect people and toolmakers and this forum was just one of those ways.

I last saw Fred in October at the Fall 2013 Cincy show. He was working the show, helping various vendors get set up, getting them workbenches, or booth staff, or whatever. You never knew which toolmakers badge Fred might be wearing at WIA. Several years ago, he made arrangements for Phillip Marcou to come over from New Zealand to grow his business. Because that was what Fred loved doing.

At the 2013 WIA, you'd see Fred tirelessly working the floor. I was talking with him and learned he had gone to the dentist for a root canal. But rather than go back to his room to rest, he came back to the show and made his rounds. Wow.

Making the rounds as I did in years past, I talked to a couple of toolmakers looking at their newest tools. Konrad had a new small plane as I recall. And I think maybe Scott Meeks had a plane he had made at Fred's request as well. They both had their 'Fred reserve' tool on display - one that he had asked them to make - to push their talent, and build their business. That was the kind of guy that Fred was.

On Friday evening after WIA, Fred asked several of the tool makers and attendees to dinner and we took over most of the first floor of Nada. We had a great time, but Fred went around to the tables and let everyone know that dinner was 'his treat.' Wow, what a generous soul. But that too was classic Fred West. Generosity of his time, his connections and his hard earned money in the interest of friendship and fellowship.

We made it back to the bar at the Marriott and swapped some stories and Fred passed around a bespoke Sword Guard made by Ford Hallum. Absolutely beautiful work. Fred had learned of the maker through Konrad and asked him to make one for him.

That's the kind of guy that Fred is. Always generous of his time and means to help others. And so appreciative of the work that could come from craftspeople and tool makers.

While he did make WIA, he was most disappointed that his health did not allow him to participate in the Georgia Roubo build from last Spring. But he decided to do his own and they freighted the materials to his home. Fred was going to get his bench one way or the other!

We were all sorry that Fred did not make the BCTW 30th anniversary weekend. That was the biggest shortcoming of an otherwise outstanding weekend. But John made it a point of sending a commerative book to Fred via Fedex so he could see it before any of the attendees could! Fred was there in spirit and we all were thinking about him and wondering when he would upgrade the entertainment center that John had awarded him the 'stuff bunny' award for.

Fred is one of a kind, a gentleman to the craft of woodworking and a friend to so many.

He will be missed. I only wish I had gotten to know him better in the few short years that we had become friends online and in person.

There will be a French oak Roubo in heaven, and Fred will be there with his collection of tools working away and swapping stories with his friends.

Thanks Fred - prayers are with you. And a smile for all the smiles you gave to so many my friend -

neil "

 http://blog.lostartpress.com/2013/12/14/a-tribute-to-the-patron-of-the-hand-tool-world/

To Fred, may you rest in the peace you so well deserved, to Fred's family and friends, my condolences. You will be missed.

 Bob

 

[ShawnRussell]

A good friend indeed. There are so many stories and almost all of them occur behind the scenes with Fred building, motivating, and cheerleading for the guy in the pilots seat.

 

[Peter Fish]

A very sad sad day
Fred was a close friend of mine despite the distance between our shores, we spoke every week for the last two years, his knowledge and enthusiasm for all things was extremely infectious,as was his laughter 
Fred was indeed like a Patron to many of the individual hand tool makers we see today, sadly I had to decline his invitation to visit WIA and am now kicking myself !!
He will be greatly missed by me and many many others.  Long may his memory linger  God bless

Peter

 

[sancho57]

Though I never met him, I have been to TF before I found out about FOG.

From the responses here he must of been very nice man who was caring and shared his knowledge and experience freely.

Im sure he will be missed by all those who new him.

 

[Sparktrician]

After reading these many tributes to him, I find myself feeling cheated to have never had the privilege of knowing Fred West. 

 

[Wonderwino]

Fred was a Pathfinder for the hand tool  world.  I had the pleasure of visiting him at home several times.  Among the catalog of Festools was an amazing selection of hand planes, chisels and other complementary items.  He took great joy in showing them to me, (and even letting me use them!) and relating the story behind each one.  

He was a renaissance man of hand woodworking.  Even though he had the finest power tools, he set them aside to develop traditional hand woodworking skills.  The last time I was there, he was in the process of building a Roubo bench, entirely with hand tools!  I checked several of the tenons and mortises with a square and they were perfect.

His unbridled generosity was evident everywhere he went; hosting dinners at woodworking events, supporting small tool makers with orders (also challenging them to produce the highest quality) and helping young woodworkers trying to produce quality work.  

He was always optimistic, even about his prognosis.  "Why can't I be in the 5% who survive?"  Sometimes those who deserve to live do not get the chance.  But life is not always fair.  Fred will never be forgotten by those who knew him; his memory will live in every shaving and project we produce.  There must be a special workbench for him in heaven, and I hope to meet him there again someday.

 

[ScotF]

That is very sad news.  I have read lots of Fred's posts and wisdom over the years and appreciated reading his thoughts and insight.  My thoughts are with his family in this hard time. 

Scot