Fred A. Hough of Wantage peacefully passed away on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was 98.
Born in Wantage on Jan. 13, 1926, to Frank A. and Harriet E. (Van Houten) Hough, Fred graduated from Sussex High School in 1944. He was a lifelong resident of Wantage Township.
He was a longtime dairy farmer and a member of the Sussex County Fair Committee, Agway board of directors, Sussex County Board of Agriculture, Sussex County Milk Producers, Sussex County Farmland Preservation, Sussex County Soil and Conservation Commission, and New Jersey Wildlife Fish and Game.
He also was active in his town and was elected several terms to serve the residents on the Wantage Township Committee and also served as mayor. In this role, he enjoyed being the officiant of 175 weddings.
Fred was a dedicated member of the Frankford Plains United Methodist Church for more than 79 years and served on the Frankford Plains Cemetery Association for many years.
Besides working on his dairy farm, he enjoyed tending to his vegetable garden and spending time outside fishing, hunting, digging for arrowheads and adding to his old bottle collection.
Fred was predeceased by his loving wife of 68 years, Betty D. Hough, in 2019; his great-granddaughter Mikalah Rose Price; and his brother and sister.
He is survived by his sons, Allen Hough of Bouckville, N.Y., and Tom Hough and his wife Susan of Sussex; his daughters, Kathy Price and her husband Lester of Whitney Point, N.Y., Barbara Bowers of Ohio, and Karen Hough and her husband Scott Simpson of Augusta; 11 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral will be held at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at Frankford Plains United Methodist Church, 99 Plains Road, Augusta. Interment to immediately follow at Frankford Plains Cemetery. Friends may pay their respects to the family from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 at Pinkel Funeral Home, 31 Bank St. (Route 23), Sussex.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Fred Hough’s memory to Frankford Plains United Methodist Church, 99 Plains Road, Augusta, NJ 07822.
The family would like to extend a very heartfelt and sincere thank you to everyone who helped care for Fred, especially Compassionate Care Hospice of Budd Lake and From the Heart Elder Care of Vernon. All the caretakers, nurses and health-care workers went above and beyond.
Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.pinkelfuneralhome.com