Frederick Lake

Frederick Alton Lake, age 84, died June 25, 2019 at Beacon Pointe, Portage, MI with his loving wife at his side.
Fred was born October 13, 1934 on the family farm on Lake Ridge in Viroqua, Wisconsin. He was the eldest of five children born to Harry and Irene (Thompson) Lake.

Fred graduated from General Motors Institute with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1956, served in the US Air Force at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX and graduated from Wayne State University with a Juris Doctor degree in 1967.
He worked at General Motors Corporation, first as an engineer and then as a staff attorney. He was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Benton Harbor, MI. In 1963 he joined Howard and Howard Attorneys, Kalamazoo, MI and was made a partner in 1965. In 1981 he left the firm but remained of counsel from 1982-1986. He was elected to and served on the Board of Directors of several of his clients businesses.

In 1987, he founded his own law firm in Kalamazoo, MI now known as Lake, Parfet and Schau, PLC. Fred was a mentor to many young attorneys. He was proud of the law practice he built with his partners and staff and considered them family. Fred loved his work and many of his clients became very close friends. He had an incredible work ethic and worked every day until he was almost 82 years of age.

Fred loved his family and his country. He held passionate political views which he would happily share with anyone who would listen. He enjoyed tennis, aviation and crossword puzzles. He was an avid fly fisherman, a voracious reader and a student of the Civil War and World War II. Some of his happiest times were spent sailing on his boat “Tranquility” in South Haven and Holland. He also shared many adventures sailing the Gulf of Mexico with his good friend, Chuck Daudert.

Fred is survived by his wife of 26 years Catherine Malpass; his daughter Stephanie Lake and his son Kenneth Lake, both of Phoenix, AZ; stepchildren Tam Siegel of Portage, MI and Michael (Allison) Mentzer of Ocala, FL; grandchildren Alexander, John, Samuel, Collin, Madison, Cameron, Abigail, Matthew and Lucas. He is also survived by his sisters, Sandra (Rollin) Johnson and Carole (Brad) St. Andrew and brother, Robert (Mary) Lake all of Viroqua Wisconsin; brothers in-law; Todd (Marilyn) Malpass of Charlevoix, MI, Tracy (Brenda) Malpass and Tad (Brenda) Malpass of East Jordan, MI; Aunt Marjorie Green of Fort Atkinson, WI and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his beloved parents, brother David Lake and brother in-law Timothy Malpass.