Frederic George Krapf III passed away peacefully Sunday, August 20, 2023, after a short illness and a fall.
With three Freds in the Krapf family, the 3rd was given the nickname "Mickey" as a young boy. It wasn't until he started at The Tatnall School that he was able to regain Fred as his moniker. Fred thrived at Tatnall and The US Navy Academy and then he added another name to his collection, Dad.
He loved to support his children (and then grandchildren) on the field and at the rink as spectator, coach and replay companion in their athletic games. His love of sports was unwavering. He was a player himself but he also loved watching college football (GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY!) A fan of classic TV shows, if Abbot and Castello, How Stuff Works or Looney Tunes were playing, no one was leaving the house. If he did leave the house, it certainly wasn't in any of the monogrammed Land's End button-downs hanging in the closet, it was in a Hawaiian short sleeve shirt, shorts and docksiders.
Fred loved to be on the water. He collected boats of all sizes, from speed boats to boats with oars, and he knew how to build and fix any kind of engine (that is until every new engine included a computer.) He was old school. His knowledge was impressive and execution meticulous. He could place even the smallest of screws with his huge hands that were like baseball mitts. Boating brought him to the places he held dear. He loved cruising the Chesapeake Bay, the Bahamas and the Florida Keys while listening to The Beach Boys.
If he couldn't get somewhere by boat, the next choice was by airplane. He had a strong love of flying, obtaining his pilot's license before his driver's license. This QB was an accomplished pilot in private and corporate planes. Whether soaring in the sky or shooting the sh*t with buddies in the hangar over coffee on a Sunday morning, he loved all things pertaining to flight. It is ironic then that he was deathly afraid of birds and would promptly leave the house to let his family contend with the flying animals when they entered his home.
His joint passions of life on the water and in the air bonded him with his friends and family. He ultimately became Captain Granddad which, true to Fred's history, was shortened to Cap. Cap was the quintessential storybook figure for his grandsons who provided a space for him to share his love of sports, boating and fishing.
He was a private man and got a kick out of letting you think there was a secret or two that you wanted to be a part of. Why was his passport a different color? Was it just by chance or was he a secret agent? We will never know, and he loves that! Not much of a partier, he kept his circle tight and was loyal to them to the end.
Fred/Mickey/Dad/Cap will be remembered by his family as a straight shooter (literally and figuratively.) He didn't sugar-coat things, except for his love of desserts. He always advised us to make the decision and move through it. Right or wrong, just keep living life. His family: Kristina (Larry), Winston and Harris Sullivan and Freddie (Angie) Krapf will miss him and remember his wise words to do things because you want to not because you are supposed to.
If you wish to honor his life, please consider supporting The Tatnall School, 1501 Barley Mill Road, Wilmington, DE.
Updated: January 02, 2024
Curator: Ed Moore