General Information

Full Name: Fred E. Seltzer
Date of Death: June 5,2026

Fred Seltzer, 83, of Fair Lawn, passed away on June 5, 2026, just hours after spending time with loved ones.  Fred grew up in Sunnyside (Queens), New York, and graduated from PACE University. He proudly served his country in the United States military as a medic. After completing his medical training in Texas, he was stationed at Fort Sam Houston, where he cared for wounded soldiers. During a mail strike, he served as a military mailman, helping ensure service members remained connected with their loved ones back home. A fortunate coin toss spared him from deployment to Vietnam, a moment of chance his family has always held close, grateful beyond words for the life it made possible. Following his military service, Fred enjoyed a long career with JCPenney, where he supported stores nationwide as they transitioned from manual cash registers to electronic systems. The work often took him through the night, and on one overnight job, he was jolted awake by a security guard at gunpoint. It became the kind of story he told with a laugh, a perfect example of the dedication and good humor he brought to everything he did. He possessed a remarkable talent for technology and remained impressively tech-savvy throughout his life.

His work was never just a job. He loved providing for his family and took genuine delight in bringing home surprises from the JCPenney employee store. Nearly every evening, he would arrive at the front door with a shopping bag in hand — a ritual his wife and daughters came to cherish so deeply that they would jokingly refuse to let him in if his hands were empty. The bags were filled with clothes and little treasures for the people he loved, turning an ordinary evening into something to look forward to. That same instinct showed itself in one of the family’s favorite stories. During the height of the Cabbage Patch Kids craze, when the dolls were so coveted that people were being robbed for them, Fred went to extraordinary lengths to bring one home for his daughters. He concealed it in double bags and carried it personally on the airplane, unwilling to let it out of his sight. To his family, it said everything about the man he was. Above all, he was devoted to his family. His wife treasures memories of their many travels together, especially their adventures throughout the American Southwest and the cruises they shared. Their love story was one of romance and devotion. Well into their later years together, he delighted in writing heartfelt love letters to his beloved wife, reminding her often of how deeply she was loved. To one daughter, some of her fondest memories were the family barbecues they shared in his later years, enjoying stories, laughter, and simply being together. As a young girl, she treasured the David Cassidy album he brought home for her, a gift she played over and over. To his other daughter, he was the father who made summer Mondays special, taking the day off to spend hours boating and fishing together. Even later in life, he loved hearing about her passion for fashion and took genuine delight in seeing her latest outfits and sharing in her excitement. Known for his wonderful sense of humor and playful spirit, Fred delighted in harmless practical jokes that kept family and friends on their toes — from fake bugs hidden in unexpected places to Scotch tape secretly wrapped around the kitchen sink sprayer. He entertained children with magic tricks at birthday parties and found great joy in making others smile. His daughters fondly remember one of his most endearing qualities: he simply could not say no to them.

In the 1970s, while accompanying him to his barber appointment, they became enamored with the fashionable Farrah Fawcett hairstyle worn by his hairdresser. Though their hair reached nearly to their waists and they were still very young girls, they begged and pleaded for matching cuts. Not realizing that the style might have been a bit grown-up for children—and unable to resist his daughters enthusiastic requests—he gave in. When their mother came home from work and discovered that both girls had traded their long locks for feathered Farrah haircuts, she was less than pleased. The girls, however, were thrilled, and the story became one of the family’s favorite memories, retold with laughter for decades. Looking back, it perfectly captured the kind of father he was: a man whose love for his daughters was so great that their happiness mattered more to him than anything else. The family’s cat, Charlie, was known for attacking just about everyone — except Fred. He adored Fred and never left his side, a fact the rest of the family found both amusing and slightly unfair.  He was an avid fan of science fiction and classic Westerns. As a grandfather, he was endlessly warm and encouraging, sharing a special bond with his grandchildren.

He is survived by the family he devoted his life to — his loving wife of 59 years, Roberta Seltzer (member of the Fair Lawn Jewish Center); his daughter Lara Gartenberg (husband Adam Gartenberg) of Springfield, and his daughter Michelle Lebreux (husband Richard Lebreux) of Watertown, MA; his grandchildren Carly and Blake; his brother Mark Seltzer (wife Janet Seltzer) and cherished niece, nephew, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sol and Marilyn Seltzer.