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Fred Russell ’86

June 27, 2022, in Portland, Oregon.

Fred was born in Adel, Iowa, and from a young age was concerned with the state of the world. After reading Diet for a Small Planet as a teenager, he became a vegetarian and inspired his family to do the same. He graduated from high school and came to Reed. He loved Portland; appreciating the area’s great biking and organizations that support bicycles as transportation. He left Reed in his sophomore year, worked at the Bicycle Repair Collective for 18 years, then at Evermine Labels, and got his bachelor’s degree from Portland State University.

Fred used his bike and a hand-built trailer for transportation and shopping and never owned a car. Biking brought out his latent competitiveness, and though he never really liked competitive sports, he was known in biking circles for his hill-climbing ability. Fred was also a juggler and had a soft spot for geriatric cats, providing several with a comfortable home in their last years. He is survived by his sister, Margaret Russell.

Appeared in Reed magazine: December 2022

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