Frederick "Fred" Leforest Van Sickle

Frederick Leforest "Fred" Van Sickle January 31, 1943 - September 2, 2021 East Wenatchee, Washington Fred Van Sickle passed away on September 2, 2021, at the age of 78, after a courageous two-year battle with cancer. He was gracious and noble to the end, not wanting others to be overly concerned on his behalf. Our family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to Dr. Toby Long, Dr. Julia Moukharskaya, and Dr. Gerald Hepnar at Confluence Health for the excellent care they provided during this time. Fred was born on January 31, 1943, in Superior, Wisconsin to Fred and Betty (Sprowls) Van Sickle. At the time of his birth, his father was serving in the Army in the South Pacific. Fred subsequently grew up in Barron, Wisconsin with his younger brother Pete, and his younger sister Barbara. Fred worked in Western Montana during summer vacations in high school, loved the mountains, and decided he would someday come out west to live permanently. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1965 with a BS in History, Fred got his chance to come out west, attending law school at the University of Washington, and graduating in 1968. He then served his country in the U.S Army JAG Corp for two years as a First Lieutenant before taking over the law practice of Ned Kimball in Waterville. In June of 1972 he married Jane Tidd of Wenatchee. She brought with her 3 sons and a daughter who learned to love the small town of Waterville, as did Fred and Jane. Fred served as Douglas County Prosecuting Attorney from 1970 to 1975, when he was appointed Superior Court Judge of Grant and Douglas Counties, then began service in 1979 as Superior Court Judge of Chelan and Douglas counties. In 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Fred to serve as a federal judge for the U.S. Eastern District Court in Spokane. Fred received unanimous confirmation, serving as a federal judge for more than 30 years. While Fred maintained a commanding presence in the courtroom, he was very humble and unassuming outside the courtroom. He was quick with a smile, enjoyed talking to people, and was always genuinely interested in how they were doing. He remembered details about people because he knew it was important to them. He was happy to write letters of recommendation for kids applying to college or law school, and to swear in new attorneys. He served as the President of the Waterville Ski Club, helped start the Waterville Booster Club, was a member of the Waterville Masons, and was a founding member of the Rotary Club of Wenatchee Confluence. Fred especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends at the lake and on ski trips. Because of his special interest in history, he made sure that all of the grandkids got to go to Washington D.C. to see the monuments and visit the Smithsonian. Anything he could do to help make them successful, he was willing to do. Fred was also an avid reader, bicyclist, and fly fisherman. He loved to travel, and he and Jane went on numerous trips to Europe, Scandinavia, and Hawaii. Fred is survived by his wife of 49 years, Jane, three sons, Rob (Bealinda) Tidd, Scott (Lisa) Tidd, and Steve (Tina) Tidd, one daughter, Nancy (Matt) Buxton, nine grandchildren, Skyler, Adam, Renee, Connor, Tawnee, Logan, Ike, Daisy, and Rabbit, his brother Peter Van Sickle of Cumberland, Wisconsin, and his sister Barbara Benton of Clearwater, Florida. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Performing Arts Center or the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust. You are invited to visit Fred's Online Tribute at www.HeritageMemorialChapel.com where you can share a memory. Arrangements are in the care of Heritage Memorial Chapel, East Wenatchee and Cashmere.