Dr. Frederic John Downing died on October 4, 2011. He was born on March 31, 1931, in Waverly, Iowa, to Raymond and Esther Downing. He was baptized in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in 1931 and confirmed in St. Paul's Lutheran Church in 1945, both in Waverly, Iowa. Following High School graduation, he entered Wartburg College in Waverly and attended one and a half years, and later enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served four years. Upon discharge, he enrolled at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and met his future wife, Janelle Thomas. They were married on August 31, 1957. He returned to Wartburg College and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business.

Frederic began his four year study of theology at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and was ordained to the Lutheran Ministry in July, 1962. His first call was to establish a mission congregation in the Cabrini-Green projects in Chicago, Illinois. This became Holy Family Lutheran Church, and continues today as an established congregation with a school.

Following this he went to Tescott, Kansas, where he served as pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church for a period of 9 years. While in Kansas, he studied for and earned the Doctorate of Ministries degree in May, 1977 from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, Illinois.

In 1979, he moved to Wickenburg, Arizona and became Assistant Director and also Director of Family Programs at the Meadows. In 1989, he established a private practice as a Spiritual Counselor in Phoenix and Wickenburg, and continued counseling until his death.

Frederic is survived by his wife of 54 years, Janelle, as well as sisters Jo Ann Osborne of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sarah Lueder of Rochester, Minnesota and Jane Ernst of Springfield, Virginia, as well as several cousins and nieces and nephews. Services were held at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Wickenburg, Arizona on October 9 at 3:00 pm.