FRED F. STENGLEIN

Webster:  Fred (aka, Buster, Gunny, Sarge), “A man of lifelong service,” born October 6, 1930, in Rochester, NY, passed away Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at age 95, after battling many health issues.  He is predeceased by his parents, Fred and Rose (Lux) Stenglein, his sister, Violet Durkin, and his son, James G. (Jimmy) Stenglein, who tragically passed away in an accident at the age of 13.

Fred is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 71 years, Helen (Fischer) Stenglein; daughters, Cheryl (Tom) Rietz, Kathy (Robert) Staunton; son, Michael (Hollie) Stenglein; grandchildren, Kara (Mark) Wochner, Amanda (David Bengoa) Staunton, Kelly (James) Nowaczewski, Zachary (Alicia) Stenglein; great grandchildren, Felix Wochner, Micah, Joseph (Joey), & Noah Nowaczewski, and Harper Stenglein; many nieces and nephews.

Fred attended the Rochester City School District and enlisted in the United States Marine Corp at the age of 15 (with parental consent) on June 27, 1946.  His parents hoped that “getting a taste of the Marine Corp” wouldn’t be for him and he’d return home….but not so.  He served his country well in three wars:  WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam.  After a military career of 22 years, 5 months and 22 days of “Honorable and Faithful Active Service” (as stated on his certificate), he then enlisted in the Marine Company Reserves on December 20, 1968 and retired from the Reserves on June 26, 1976.

Fred and Helen were married on June 26, 1954. In 1968 he realized that raising/supporting a family on a military salary was not doable so he gained employment by Eastman Kodak Company as a machinist and was employed there for 23 years. 

Fred was a lifelong avid hunter and fishermen. After marrying the love of his life, Helen, they honeymooned in Cape Vincent, NY, where they both fell in love with the area. Over the years, in the summer months, they first started renting cottages which led them to purchasing a mobile home.  After Fred’s retirement from Eastman Kodak Company, they purchased land and built a beautiful home overlooking the St. Lawrence River where they spent their summers.  They ended up having many friends and acquaintances there, which are still friends of theirs to this day.

Fred was very active in the Coast Guard while in Cape Vincent, but first started in the Coast Guard in Rochester, NY.  He joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary on April 25, 1997 at the rank of Flotilla 6 Commander of the 9th Coast Guard District where he served for many years.  In addition, he also taught Boating Safety/Inspections while in the Coast Guard.  He also participated on a few occasions in the Rochester Institute of Technology’s ROTC graduations.

On October 20, 2018, Fred was honored to be a participant on Rochester’s Honor Flight #63 to Washington DC.  His son, Michael, accompanied him on that flight and couldn’t have felt more proud to share in that special moment in time together.

Besides Fred’s many years of service, below are other awards he has won throughout his life:

Presidential Unit Citation with 2 Stars

Korean Service Medal with 6 Stars

Good Conduct Medal with 7 Stars

National Defense Service Medal

WWII Victory Medal

Naval Occupation Medal with Asian Clasp

United Nations Medal

Vietnam Campaign Medal

Pistol Expert Badge (5 Awards)

Rifle Expert Badge (5 Awards)

Coast Guard Auxiliary Awards:  Sustained Auxiliary Service Award, Operations Program Ribbon, Examiner Program Ribbon, Instructor Program Ribbon, Auxiliary Membership Service, Flotilla Meritorious Achievement Medal, Auxiliary Public Education Service Award, and Auxiliary Operations Service Award.

Fred was also a sports fan.  He was a diehard New York Yankees fan, a Notre Dame Fighting Irish football fan, and also followed several NFL teams, mostly our local Buffalo Bills.  He also loved golf, particularly watching the PGA.

The family would like to express their thanks and gratitude to Fred’s devoted friends and neighbors, Fred and Edie Hall, for their many years of friendship, love, and care.

Friends and family are invited to gather for a time of visitation on Wednesday, March 11, 3:00-5:00pm, at the Willard Scott Funeral Home, 12 South Avenue, Webster, NY 14580, with a short service at 5:00 pm with Military Honors.

Fred will privately be laid to rest in the Webster Union Cemetery, Webster, NY, at a later time.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Honor Flight Rochester:

Electronically

Go to honorflightrochester.org and select “donate.”

OR

By check

Honor Flight Rochester, Inc.

PO Box 23581

Rochester, NY 14692

To read and watch the News 10 WHEC story about Fred click here:https://www.whec.com/top-news/rochester-born-marine-gunny-stenglein-who-served-in-wwii-korea-and-vietnam-receives-flag-flown-over-u-s-capitol/