Final Salute

Henry Frederick “Fred” Radke, Sr. Obituary

Freddy Radke passed away on May 23rd, 2020 at Saint Peter’s Hospital in Helena, Montana as a result of congestive heart failure.

He was born Henry Frederick Radke on March 25th, 1940 in Spokane, Washington. He was the third child of William and Eileen Radke.

Father, Grandfather, loyal friend and proud Navy Veteran, Fred was a very personable man and made new friends everywhere he went; schoolmates, military, work, family gatherings. Friendships and history with those friends were especially important to Freddy.

Fred attended Catholic school in Helena and later joined the U.S. Navy at the age of seventeen. He served in the Construction Battalion (Seabee’s) and was extremely proud of his service, telling many stories of his life on Guam. It was during his military service that he earned his GED and a love for construction.
The Seabee motto of “Can Do” followed him throughout his life.

After the military, Fred became a journeyman carpenter and worked on various projects and houses in the Helena area before starting off on his own with a carpenter friend. He was known for his framing and remodeling skills and was one of the first in the Helena Valley to put metal roofing on area cabins. In the late 80’s and 90’s he created a few small businesses, most notably Freddy’s 25 cent car wash.

Freddy loved the Helena Valley, old cars, and funny jokes. He always had a joke, enjoyed old movies, and you better not bother him while watching his favorite team the Green Bay Packers. No matter the situation, he always brought laughter to the table. His sense of humor was the highlight of being around Freddy.

Fred was also an avid musician and singer and passed those skills along whenever possible. Fred always had a soft spot for both little kids and those less fortunate than himself. Kids made him laugh, and kept him young. In some ways he was nothing but a big kid himself.

Survivors include his children; Karen (Tom) Tenneson, Cindy (Justin) Janicke, Randy (Heather) Radke, Kenny (Catherine) Radke, Jeff (Ingrid) Radke, daughter-in-law Jana Radke and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, nieces and cousins.

He was preceded in death by both his parents, his brother, Bill, his sister, Charlene, his son Frederick M. Radke and his grandson George H. Radke.

A graveside service with Military Honors is scheduled for 2:00 pm Friday June 5th, 2020 at the Montana State Veterans Cemetery Committal Shelter, Fort Harrison.
Please visit www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence the family or to share a memory of Fred.