Submitted by: Dan Rich

Fred Robert Horning

Dec. 10, 1915 - Aug. 11, 2005

South Bend Tribune 8/26/2005

Fred Robert Horning, 89, passed away Thursday, Aug. 11, 2005, in San Antonio, Texas.

He was born December 10, 1915, in Chicago, Illinois, and moved as a young child with his parents and older sister, LaVerne, to South Bend, Indiana.

He served honorably in the Third Armored Division during World War II in the European Theater receiving many commendations including the coveted Crois de Guerre of Belgium for bravery during the Battle of the Bulge.

In December 1942 he married Florence Marie Meiner of South Bend. She preceded him in death on September 10, 2004, after 61 years of marriage.

Following World War II, he joined the Studebaker Corporation, working with Raymond Loewy, the French commercial designer. With Studebaker's closing, Fred joined the design studio of the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, remaining there until his retirement in April 1978.

He and his wife then moved to Sun City Center, Florida, where they enjoyed a life of extensive travel which included the contiguous U.S., Alaska and Hawaii, and numerous trips to Europe where they had lived for a time during Fred's tenure at Ford.

His wife's death precipitated his move to San Antonio, Texas, where his youngest and only remaining sibling, Myrtle Dillinger Smith, resides.

Fred was a 32nd degree Mason. His zest for life was long-lived. He enjoyed fun, friends and family. He was a loving husband, son and brother, with many friends who will not soon forget his many kind gestures and thoughtfulness.