G. Fred Wickman, former Star columnist and educator, dies at 77
As a child, Gustav Frederick Wickman asked everyone to call him G. Fred, hoping to take control of his own identity. Still, his friends preferred “Freddy.” His dad’s friends called him “Little Gus.” And his mom insisted on “Sunny,” due to his upbeat personality.
As a reporter, Wickman set his byline as G. Fred Wickman, quashing the nicknames. But the bright disposition stuck around.
A beloved Star writer and keeper of Kansas City lore, Wickman died on April 27 after a battle with ongoing health issues. He was 77.
Wickman was born in Springfield, Missouri, on July 6, 1946. By the age of 8, he knew he wanted to be a reporter.
“He wanted to save the world through journalism,” said Wickman’s wife, Rosanne.
Wickman proudly attended the University of Missouri to study journalism. After graduating in 1968, he served in the U.S. Navy, working on a nuclear-powered ship, and then as a recruiter in St. Louis.
He took a job at The Star in 1973 and stayed for 23 years, rising from night reporter in the suburbs to cover local government. For 14 of those years, he shared a workplace with his wife, whom he met while they both served on the national board of the Society of Professional Journalists.
“Fred had three great loves,” his wife said. “Journalism, baseball and me.”
Years spent writing about Kansas City made Wickman a community figure, with dozens of colorful tales to share. Wickman wrote the popular At Your Service column, where readers wrote in for help with sticky situations. He also wrote the About Town column until 1995, highlighting the activities of local nonprofits.
After leaving The Star, Wickman taught a news writing class at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He also advised the student newspaper, then called UNews, and served as a news writing judge for the Quill & Scroll Society.
A fierce supporter of student press freedoms, Wickman mentored his student editors throughout their lives, said former UNews editor-in-chief Melissa Oribhabor Reeves.
“He respected us as adults,” Reeves said. “He was kind and he was brilliant and there was nothing you could ask him that he wouldn’t give you a serious answer.”
A lifelong Kansas City Royals fan, Wickman coached baseball in Kansas City for decades, seeing his son, Ben, and then children of friends and colleagues through the youth leagues.
The Wickmans also enjoyed traveling to both coasts and to see family, always with sports magazines and a copy of National Geographic in tow.
“He was a serious journalist, he was a good friend, he was a caring mentor, he was just a good man, and this world is less cool now that he’s not in it,” Reeves said.
Wickman’s funeral will be May 9. He is survived by wife, Rosanne, son, Ben, and four grandchildren.
