Final Salute

Frederick J. Kircher, of the Twin Lakes Community, died at the age of 101 on January 10, 2026. He was born July 16, 1924 in Montclair, NJ to Helena and Frederick D. Kircher. Mr. Kircher was raised in Bloomfield, NJ where he attended public schools. In May 1945, he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from Cornell University.

Mr. Kircher was an accomplished trombonist. He met his wife, Betty Mueller, violist, while playing with the Bloomfield NJ Symphony Orchestra. On September 17, 1949 they were married at the Caldwell, NJ Presbyterian Church. They played together with several music groups for over 30 years.

Mr Kircher was a Structural Engineer and had professional engineering licenses in fourteen states. He was a Senior Vice-President of Seelye, Stevenson, Value, and Knecht in NYC, where he had a small part in getting the first man on the moon. He was Manager of Specialty Engineering for Malcolm Pirnie Inc. of White Plains, NY and Vice President of Stetson Harza in Utica. He retired in 1991. He was a member of the American Concrete Association, the American Institute of Steel Construction and was a Fellow and Life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was listed in several editions of Who’s Who in the East. He was a member of the Rotary Club in NYC and Utica, NY where he was also a Paul Harris Fellow. He served on the Board of Directors of the Senior Day Center of Utica and as a trustee of the Utica Zoo.

He served in the US Navy in WW2 from July 1943 to May 1946 and was a Seabee in September and October 1945.

Surviving are his two daughters Barbara Collins (husband Bill) of Glenmont, NY, and Ruth Hathaway (husband Ed) of Greensboro, NC, three grandchildren, Scott Hathaway (wife Sharah) James Collins (wife Stephenie) and Leigh McCormick (husband Joe) and four great granddaughters. He was predeceased by his wife of 72 years, Betty Mueller Kircher, his sister Ruth Shouppe and a nephew Stephen Shouppe.

A memorial service will be planned for a date in the future