Wayne Henry Frederick, founder of the financial services company The WFA Group, passed away on December 31, 2020. He was 88.
Upon graduating from high school, Frederick served in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean War, attached to the U.S. Mine Force Fleet in Charleston, South Carolina. While he was stationed there, in 1952 one of the worst naval accidents in history happened when the USS Hobson sank and 176 men perished. Frederick wanted their legacy to be remembered.
While living in Charleston, Frederick met his first wife, Lucille Booth, in 1954 and they were blessed with a daughter, Jenny. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he returned to his home state of Wisconsin and earn a BBA degree from the University of Wisconsin. After college, he began working in the financial services industry and had two sons, David and Kenneth. A career-related opportunity with Lawrence Systems brought his family to Houston and in 1973 he was promoted to regional vice president for the Southeast Caribbean in Coral Gables, Florida. In the 1970s, Frederick was involved as a governor with Toastmasters International and received awards for his public-speaking prowess.
In Coral Gables, Frederick met Donna Hostetter and they were married in 1977 in Houston after he returned there to lead the Texas region for Lawrence Systems. In 1979, they had a son, Jason. Frederick loved Texas and was always excited to tell people that, although he wasn’t born there, he got there as fast as he could.
In 1984, Frederick launched The WFA Group (Wayne Frederick and Associates). Today, The WFA Group provides a variety of services to commercial lenders and other clients throughout the U.S., including accounts receivable and inventory field examinations, equipment appraisals, note reviews and floor plan verifications. The WFA Group conducts more than 500 exams and appraisals each year for banks/financial institutions of all sizes. Despite selling The WFA Group in 2014, it was difficult to convince Frederick to retire officially. He was never a man who sat idle.
After 32 years of marriage, Frederick was heartbroken to lose Donna to cancer in 2009. Nevertheless, he rose to the challenge of helping care for her mother, Maxine, for several years. He loved his dog, Reilly, who remained a faithful companion after Donna passed away. Frederick discovered a passion for travel during his first river cruise through Germany in 2010. In 2015, he married Susan Hall and together they traveled the world.
Frederick was ecstatic to share his final days with his family and grandson, Grayson, who brought a renewed sparkle to his eye. He is survived by his wife, Susan Hall Frederick; his sister, Joan Frederick; his only daughter, Jenny Davis, and her husband, Ed; his three sons, David Frederick, Kenneth Frederick, Jason Frederick, and his wife Magan; and his only grandson, Grayson.
Click here to view a video celebrating the life of Wayne Frederick.
