Passed peacefully away at St. Luke’s Home on April 25th, 2011, Archdeacon Frederick Raymond Oake, aged 87, of Mount Pearl. Predeceased by his parents, Arthur and Edith Oake, his sisters, Nellie Blake (Hubert), Ella Hoffe (William) and his infant brother, Sydney. Leaving to mourn with loving memories, his loving wife of 55 years Lillian Oake (nee Hounsell); his sons, David (Denise), Peter and Michael; his beloved grandsons, David Frederick and Mark James; as well as a large circle of in-laws, nephews, nieces, extended family and friends.
Fred was born and raised and received his early schooling on Change Islands in Notre Dame Bay. Accepting his calling to the priesthood, he attended Queen’s College in St. John’s. He was made a deacon in 1948 and ordained to the priesthood in 1949 for a total of 62 years as an ordained priest. After being made deacon and his ordination, he served in the Mission of Exploits from 1948 to 1951 and in the Parish of White Bay from 1951 to 1953 where he met Lillian. In 1953 he decided to return to university to complete his degree and attended Bishop’s University at Lennoxville, Quebec, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955. Following graduation, he returned to Newfoundland and was assigned to the Parish of Belleoram in Fortune Bay where David and Peter were born. In 1960, Fred and Lillian moved to the Parish of Bay St. George where Michael was born. In 1964 they accepted appointment to the Parish of Bonavista where they remained for the next 10 years. In 1974, Fred became the program officer of the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador and they moved to St. John’s. He was named Archdeacon in 1977 and became Executive Officer of the Diocese. He was appointed Canon of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in 1983. He retired in 1989 and continued active in the Church for many years. In retirement, Fred and Lillian lived in Mount Pearl and were active members of the Parish of the Ascension, where they formed many friendships and memories.
Fred Oake was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish. At Bonavista he had a reputation as an accomplished seabird hunter and was respected by the local fishermen as a knowledgeable man on the water. Fred could fix just about anything or would at least have a go at it. His parishes always had the benefit of a devoted pastor but also a built in maintenance man. Whether it was trekking miles on snowshoes to a service, manning the parish boat (sometimes by himself) or rewiring the church in Bonavista, he was always committed to his ministry and his parishioners. He will be deeply missed.
Frederick is resting at Carnell’s Funeral Home, 329 Freshwater Road with visitation on Wednesday, April 27th and Thursday April 28th from 2pm to 5pm and 7pm to 10pm. Funeral service will take place at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist at 11am on Friday, April 29th. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Venerable Frederick Raymond Oake Memorial Scholarship Fund at Queen’s College, 210 Prince Philip Drive, Queen’s College Suite 3000, St. John’s, NL AlB 3R6. The family would like to gratefully acknowledge the loving care provided by the staff of St. Luke’s Home and particularly the caregivers of the Inglewood Unit. To send a message of condolence or to sign the memorial guest book, please visit www.carnells.com.