George Emory Dredden, Jr.

Mr. George Emory Dredden Jr., 80, of Frederick, MD, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010. Born Sept. 15, 1929, in Charlottesville, VA., Albemarle County; he was the son of the late George E. Dredden Sr., and Mary Sampson Dredden. He was the loving husband of Ruth C. Dredden and beloved father of George E. Dredden III and wife Marguerite Smith of New Jersey, Angela K. Dredden of Jefferson, and Patrick D. Dredden and wife Debra of California, devoted grandfather to George III's daughters Alexis A. Dredden and Mikaela I. Dredden. He is also survived by sister-in-law, Betty J. Culbreath, of PA, and brother-in-laws, John W. Collins, of Frederick and Col Robert P. Collins, (Ret) of Texas and several nieces,nephews and cousins. George was always an advocate of education. He attended school at Phyllis Wheatley ,Seaford High School and grade 12 at Delaware Laboratory High School. He earned a B.S. in Biology from Morgan State University. He selflessly served his country by enlisting in the US Navy in 1951 during the Korean conflict, with duty stations in Newfoundland, North Africa and at Quonset Point, RI. He achieved the rank of Petty Officer 3rd class and was honorably discharged in 1955. After his discharge he became a lab technician and later a lab supervisor at Fort Detrick. He changed career paths moving to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission serving as Conciliator, Supervisor, Branch Chief and retiring in 1986 as Deputy Director of the National Training Institute of the EEOC. During his retirement he founded and served as Publisher of the County Globe Newspaper, served as President of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees Chapter 409, was President of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce and acted as a Director of both First Bank of Frederick and Frederick County Bank. George was an active member of St John's Roman Catholic Church volunteering in several capacities including member of the Finance Committee, as a Eucharistic minister, and other committees within the church. He was a secular volunteer and activist as well; his many leadership roles include: Secretary of the Frederick chapter of the American Red Cross, Board of Directors and Secretary of the YMCA, Board of Directors and Secretary Frederick Memorial Hospital, and Ministries to the Aging (EMA) Board Member. He has been recognized for his community service by several local organizations such as Omega Psi Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, Frederick Negro Business And Professional Women's Business Club, Community Living, and the Frederick County Chapter of Southern Christian Leadership Conference. George was a very active Rotarian, recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International and receiving the local chapter's highest honor by being named a Fellow. George also had a keen interest in local and state politics. He was appointed by Governor William Donald Schaefer as Chairman of the Trial Court Judicial Nominating Commission for District 10; Governor Schaefer also appointed him to the Human Relations Committee for the state of Maryland, additionally he was a participant on the State of Maryland Economic Task Force. His deep and abiding concern for the welfare of Frederick led him to serve as Vice Chair of the Frederick County Planning and Zoning Commission, Chair of the Frederick County Economic Development Commission, member of the Human Relations Committee for Frederick County, and was the Representative for Frederick County on the Frederick/Washington County Regional Transportation Board. As mentioned before George firmly believed in education. He served as Chair of the Frederick Community College Foundation. When awarded (along with Ruth) the 2007 Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism by the Community Foundation of Frederick County, they established an eponymous Scholarship Fund to aid those Fredericktonians wishing to pursue a post- secondary education. The family will receive from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m., on Monday, September 6, 2010, at the Keeney and Basford PA Funeral Home, 106 East Church Street, Frederick. Wake service will be held at 8:30 p.m., on Monday, evening at the funeral home. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., on Tuesday, September 7, 2010, at Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, 118 East Second Street, Frederick. Celebrant will be Msgr. Richard Murphy. Interment will follow in the St. Johns Cemetery, Frederick. Those wishing to honor George's spirit of service and community may do so by contributing to St. John The Evangelist Roman Catholic Church or The Community Foundation George E. and Ruth C. Dredden Scholarship Fund.