Fred Mayer passed peacefully under Hospice care on January 17, 2026 in St. Petersburg at the age of 94.

He was born in Clinton, Iowa in 1931 to Percy and Irene Metzger. Fred was later legally adopted by relatives Frederick C. and Emma Mayer. His happy childhood and early education were in Oak Park, Illinois. He graduated from Oak Park Township High School in 1949. After working for a railway company for two years, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served honorably until his discharge in 1958. Soon after, he met and married the love of his life, Bette, while working at U.S. Steel in Chicago, Illinois. In 1965, Fred graduated with honors from Worsham College of Mortuary Science and moved his family to Decatur, Illinois, where he worked for Dawson and Wikoff Funeral Home until his retirement in 1994. He was a member of Faith Baptist Church, serving the Lord in many ways, including playing the trombone, which he continued to do most of his life. He and Bette moved to Florida after retirement and enjoyed living close to family, including grandchildren. The Lord and these close ties sustained him when Bette passed in 2002.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Lorrie (Mayer) and Kirk Bellinger of St. Pete Beach, FL; grandson, Cameron Bellinger of Fayetteville, NC; granddaughter, Kelly (Bellinger) Hernandez and husband, Danny, of St. Pete Beach, FL and two great grandchildren; and half-brother, Walter Metzger, of Clinton, Iowa.

A very short private viewing will be held at 10am, Friday, January 23 at DeGusipe Funeral Home, 3530 49th Street North, St. Petersburg. Leaving immediately for a 1:00 pm graveside burial at Florida National Cemetery, 6502 SW 102nd Ave., Bushnell, FL 33513.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Empath Suncoast Hospice at https://suncoasthospicefoundation.org/donations2/ or to Pacific Garden Mission at https://www.pgm.org/donate/ .