An irreplaceable legend
Veteran Rice announcer
J. Fred Duckett dies at 74

"It's a beautiful day for out-door football"

HOUSTON  (June 27) -- The airwaves and cyberspace have been replete with news of the death of Rice athletics legend J. Fred Duckett, who succumbed to leukemia at age 74 early Monday evening.

J. Fred's accomplishments and longevity are expressible most succinctly in terms of decades, having spent five of them as Rice's football announcer, four as its basketball announcer, five-plus as  a Rice trackster, announcer and track official, three as the PA man for the Houston Astros, and four more as the announcer for the Texas Relays.

And those include only his more visible exploits, those which rendered his booming voice a familiar one to generations of Texans, whose numbers count literally in the millions.

But to his many close friends in the Rice community, he was much more than the biggest, most recognizable stadium voice in sports. Too, he was a true Renaissance Man who excelled in both sports and academics as an Institute undergrad, class of  '55, who was one of Rice's first Fulbright Scholars, who easily could have opted for the long green in the insurance business but rather sustained his lifelong love of learning with a lengthy teaching career, first at St. John's and later at the Awty School.

Those friends, colleagues and schoolmates are aware of Fred's national reputation as a track and field official.  But they also know that J. Fred Duckett was simply the best public address announcer in America.  No one else came close.

We needn't recite further the many additional details of J. Fred's storied life, which has been reported elsewhere in recent days.  We do note, however, the upcoming memorialization plans. 

A visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday evening at the George H Lewis & Sons Funeral Home, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. Then, a  Memorial Service previously scheduled for Trinity Episcopal Church fittingly has been moved to Rice's Autry Court, and will take place at 1 pm on Friday. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in J.Fred's name to any of the following: Awty International School, The "R" Association at Rice University or the Fondren Library at Rice University.

Man, are we ever going to miss that guy.

By the way, to the owner of the late model blue Buick, Texas license number XPJ347 -- your lights are on. The engine is running.  And the doors are locked.

--P.T.H.    Links to J. Fred Duckett stories....   J. Fred obituary....