Frederick E. Bock
Frederick Ernest Bock, a Korean War veteran who worked at Grumman Aerospace making parts for the NASA lunar module, died at home in East Hampton on Jan. 11. He was 86 and had been diagnosed with cancer some time ago.
He was a gardener, fisherman, and baseball fan, and a devoted parent who helped generations of Cub Scouts.
As a father of six children, Mr. Bock dedicated much of his time to their activities, and extended his help to other youth as well. For more than 20 years, he coached Little League in East Hampton, selecting one of the first girls to play in the league. As a Cub Scout parent, he helped his sons build cars to race in the annual Pinewood Derby, a tradition he continued even after his own children aged out of the program. With his brother, he paid particular attention to helping boys whose own fathers were unavailable to help. Many of the boys went home carrying trophies, Mr. Bock’s family said.
Mr. Bock tended a quarter-acre garden for much of his adult life — a “thing of beauty,” his family said, that was the “source of many competitions between his family and friends.”
A lifelong East Hamptoner who was born on Aug. 26, 1929, in the family house on Accabonac Road, he “nourished his Bonac heritage by fishing, clamming, and dredging scallops,” said his family, and was an excellent cook known for his clam chowder. He made it in five-gallon batches to fulfill requests. In the wintertime, he enjoyed bowling, and for many years he played on the Iacono Farm team. Mr. Bock’s interests have been passed down and are shared by his children and grandchildren, his family said.
He was one of 11 children born to Gustave Bock and Aino Sorvari Bock, and attended school in East Hampton.
He served in the Army during the Korean War and met his future wife, Carol Collins, while home on leave. The couple married after his return from the service, on Sept. 12, 1954.
Their children, all of whom survive, are Francis Bock, Tim Bock, Tom Bock, Bryan Bock, and Alison Anderson of East Hampton, and Rick Bock of New Bern, N.C. Fourteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren also survive, as does a brother, David Bock of Jacksonville, Fla.
Mr. Bock worked as a precision machinist at Grumman Aerospace in Sag Harbor, and took great pride in manufacturing parts for the lunar module, his family said. After the company left Sag Harbor, Mr. Bock worked in estate management.
A wake was held at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton on Jan. 14, and a funeral Mass was said at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in East Hampton the next day, the Rev. Manuel Zuzarte presiding. It was followed by a military graveside service at Most Holy Trinity Cemetery in East Hampton.
Mr. Bock’s grandchildren then asked the family to meet them at his favorite fishing spot on Three Mile Harbor, where a wreath was thrown into the outgoing tide at sunset. The family then completed the send-off with a fire on the beach and a toast.
Memorial contributions have been suggested to the East Hampton Ambulance Association, 1 Cedar Street, East Hampton 11937, East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach 11978, or to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 1311 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 310, White Plains, N.Y. 10605.