The Collection of British Orders, Decorations and Medals formed by the late Fred Rockwood
Frederick W Rockwood
Frederick W. Rockwood passed away March 3, 2014 at his home in Batesville, Indiana after a long illness. He will be fondly remembered as an avid collector, meticulous researcher, and true friend of the hobby. His knowledge of military history, medals, and militaria was frequently sought by collecting friends around the world. An early and sustained interest in stamps led Fred into coins and finally to orders, decorations, and medals where he collected worldwide. He was a partner in FJP Auctions, Inc., a strong supporter of the OMSA and the Ohio Valley Military Society (OMVS).
Fred was a Salt Lake City born-Stanford University undergrad-Harvard law Renaissance man with varied interests in many different fields of learning. He had an extraordinary eclectic library, all of which he could instantly recall. He loved languages and spoke many of them fluently, including Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese) and German. Fred held many Church leadership positions, was President and CEO of a Fortune 500 Company, served on the Boy Scouts of America Cincinnati Council board of directors, and supported all forms of the arts.
Every travel opportunity for Fred led to a favorite book store. Once, after an overnight flight to London, he could not check in at the hotel because the room wasn’t ready. Thinking there was time to spend an hour searching the stacks and still have time to catch a much needed nap before dinner; Fred made an early afternoon visit to a book store. He was soon in an almost hidden corner of an upstairs room. He found something of interest on a bottom shelf, bent over to pick it up, and then sat down on the floor to take a better look. The next thing he remembers was being awakened by a security guard hours after the store had closed.
Fred Rockwood was a unique individual who will be missed by those who knew him. He is survived by his wife Jolene, six sons and daughters, and eighteen grandchildren.