Frederick Ramsay: R.I.P.

Frederick Ramsay: R.I.P.  Sad News. Fred will be missed.

Eleanor Ramsay posted this on his Facebook Page:

Dear friends and fans of Fred. It is my sad task to let you know that he passed away into the arms of the angels in the early morning hours of August 23. He had been battling an aggressive return of kidney cancer and, despite our hopes that he might benefit from new immunotherapy treatments, the cancer could not be contained. If you know him, you knew that he was the definition of a Renaissance Man. He was a teacher, ordained minister, scholar, artist and, of course, a writer of 19 wonderful mysteries. He was almost finished his 20th book, The Onion, which will be completed and published.

Fred was a loving husband to his wife Susan, and a father to her three children, Julie, Karen and Sam. He had three children from his previous marriage; Jeff, Eleanor and Matt. In addition, he was grandpa extraordinaire to his son Jeff's children Kopano, Ati, and Alex; to Julie's daughters Kiri and Allie; and to Sam's child, Wyatt.

A man of deep faith and a marvelous sense of humor, it was said he could even make the angels laugh.

Services will be held at La Casa de Christo, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale, AZ, on Wednesday, August 30 at 11am. The service will also be live streamed at the church's website.

While we will miss him terribly, we are comforted by the knowledge that he lived an amazingly rich life, touched so many people, and leaves a remarkable legacy.

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Dr. Frederick Ramsay was born in Baltimore, the son of a respected teacher researcher and scientist. He graduated from Washington and Lee University in Virginia and received his doctorate from the University of Illinois. After a stint in the Army, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland, School of Medicine, where he taught Anatomy, Embryology and Histology; engaged in research and served as an Associate Dean. He is the author of several scientific research and general technical articles. During this time he also pursued studies in theology and in 1971 was ordained an Episcopal priest. After leaving the University, he served two congregations in the Baltimore area full time and several part-time.

After retiring from full-time ministry, he began writing full time. His first novel, Artscape, was published by Poisoned Pen Press and launched July, 2004. His second, Secrets, (Poisoned Pen Press), was published in August of 2005 and Impulse, July 2006, was cited by Publishers Weekly as one of the one hundred best books 2006. He is the author of the Ike Schwartz mysteries, a series beginning with Predators set in Botswana, and a stand alone, religious historical fiction-Judas the Gospel of betrayal. 19 Books in all with a twentieth almost finished.