Member spotlight: Fred Koesling

Fred Koesling, former LCUUF Member-at-large

Born in Erie, raised in Pittsburgh, a graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, I spent my formative years in Western Pennsylvania. I surrendered to the siren call of California in the 60’s and moved West. After a year of law school in San Francisco (didn’t think it was for me), I moved to LA and like the many thousands thought to chase the dream of a career in entertainment. Five years of craziness later (there is more than one book in there somewhere), numerous back street stage productions and one TV pilot that never saw the light of day, I migrated back East to Washington, D.C.

I had supported myself in Los Ángeles working as an assistant in the furniture buying office of The May Company, Los Ángeles, and took the same route in Washington with the grand old carriage trade store, Woodward & Lothrop. Thirty three years later I emerged from a career path in the furniture business, first as a department store buyer and later as a V.P. of merchandising and marketing with upholstery manufacturers in North Carolina. It suited me, and in the years when things started turning upside down in the world of retail and manufacturing it served me well to have the background to move between both.

In Washington I became a certified family man, producing two wonderful kids who were primarily raised in Hickory, North Carolina. Naturally both, upon graduating university in North Carolina, made their way to New York City, where they continue to live today in The Bronx. My daughter has gifted me with two grandkids (she married a fellow North Carolina theatre major), and so the circle of life continues.

After my first marriage of 18 years ended, I found a soul mate among my furniture associates. Seven years later I lost her to a long struggle with stomach cancer in 2002. To say my world turned upside down would be the understatement of the year, and partially set the course for my move to Mexico where I have now lived going on 16 years.

I never lost the acting ‘itch’ and while I ‘abstained’ for 25 years, busy with the family and the job, I scratched the itch in again in North Carolina and eventually here in Mexico. Lakeside Little Theatre introduced me to my companion of many years, Liz White, a theatre professional, who I lost to a series of strokes two years ago. Life does go on, and while I am of an age to accept that full scale theatre performances are behind me, I revel in the knowledge that I enjoyed wonderful years pursuing my fantasy avocation.

As to my spirituality I spent a number of years in the Episcopal Church, and in the Roman Catholic Church, but my very personal leanings have long been to the universality of our existence and so I found my way to LCUUF. Lucky me!

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