Frederick Alan Marchman, 75, a native of Mobile, an artist, sculptor, poet, author and teacher, died peacefully in his sleep on April 19, 2016.
Fred was a member of the Fairhope United Methodist Church.
He was born in Mobile on April 12, 1941 to Harvey and Martha Marchman, who both predeceased him.
He is survived by his two sisters, Betty (Arthur) Edgar of Fairhope and Louise (Pete) Meredith of Birmingham; and brother, Robert (Charlotte) Marchman of Guntersville, Alabama; many nieces and nephews, Lynne Pearson of Fairhope, Anna Wall of Lincoln Nebraska, Ellen (Russell) Chandler of Birmingham, Samantha Marchman of Atlanta, Dr. Joe Wall of Phoenix, Arizona, Todd (Sherri) Wall of Fairhope and Tom Edgar of Loganville, Georgia.
A man of many achievements, he was an Eagle Scout, a 1959 graduate of Murphy High School, a graduate of the University of Alabama, fine arts degree in painting and MFA in sculpture from the Newcomb School of Fine Arts at Tulane University.
Fred was a member of the Eastern Shore Art Center, the Mobile Arts Council, the Mobile Museum of Art and the The Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Upon graduating, Fred volunteered for the Peace Corps and taught Ecuadorian natives how to use art to improve their lives. It was in Ecuador that he met his wife. He lived and created works of art in California before studying under the famous Ward Brothers of Crisfield, Maryland and becoming a master carver of authentic and beautiful wooden duck decoys and various other birds.
Fred moved back to Mobile in the 1970s and continued to create more art on all available media and to teach art at the Alabama School of Math and Science. He taught at Faulkner College for nearly 20 years and was doing so until the day he left us all. He also taught classes for the Eastern Shore Institute of Lifelong Learning (ESILL).
Fred published several books. He also illustrated a Spanish language textbook written by a cousin, Frieda (Michael) Welhausen, professor of Spanish and associate dean for humanities at Baylor University. His books, illustrations for various publications and presentations of his artwork brought him many admirers and friends.
In Mobile and the Eastern Shore, Frederick will be missed by his family and his many friends. His legacy of self, knowledge and creativity will be felt in the community for years.
The family requests that any memorials be made to the charity of their choice.
A celebration and memorial service will be held on Friday, April 29, 2016, from 6 until 8 p.m., at the Eastern Shore Arts Center, located at 401 Oak Street in Fairhope, Alabama.
