Fredrik Zwiebel Jr.

Fredrik Zwiebel, Jr., born February 11, 1930, passed away on February 25, 2026, at the age of 96. He was married to Mary M. Socie on October 6, 1951; she predeceased him on August 14, 2023.

Fred enjoyed a distinguished 36-year career as an organic chemist at Inmont and BASF Corporation. While at BASF, he also served as Vice President of the Hawthorne Division Federal Credit Union and as Captain of the Hawthorne Division Fire & Rescue Squad. He and Mary raised two daughters, Sharon Lynn Mathusa (Dwight) and Debra Lynn Heptig. They were proud grandparents to Michael Philip Heptig (Chelsea), Christopher Klob (Stacy), Kelsey Mathusa, and Dwight Mathusa (Danielle), and the late Chelsea Marie Heptig. They were also great-grandparents to Michael Heptig, Matthew Heptig, Lilyana Heptig, Tristan Klob, and Sawyer Klob.

A passionate horticulturist and devoted organist, Fred planted thousands of annual flowers each year in his yard. He purchased his first pipe organ in 1959 and filled his home with their majestic presence, culminating in a large four-manual Rogers organ that brought him great joy. In 1991, he and Mary retired from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, drawn by their shared love of Longwood Gardens. For more than twenty years, they volunteered hundreds of hours there—Fred as a gardener and later as a pipe organ docent—while forming lasting friendships with the professional organists who performed at the concerts they hosted in their home.

In 2007, Fred and Mary moved to Ovations, where he embraced bocce with enthusiasm and built new friendships. In his final years at Riddle Village, he continued to form close bonds, especially with his dining companions, who became his dearest friends.