Dr. Frederick W. Seinfelt, 92, of Indiana, PA died Wednesday August 6, 2025, at Indiana Regional Medical Center.
He was born on August 22, 1932, in Munson, PA, a son of the late Henry G. and June L. (McDonald) Sinfelt. On June 11, 1960, Fred married Laura R. Simler in Philipsburg, PA. He was a Christian by faith and a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Indiana.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Laura on December 24, 2022; a sister Norma June Sinfelt; and a brother Dr. John H. Sinfelt, a chemical engineer and 1979 United States President’s National Medal of Science winner who was world renowned for his contributions to bimetallic catalysis and the development of low-lead gasoline.
Fred is survived by a son, Mark Seinfelt of Philipsburg; a daughter, Bronwen Seinfelt, of Indiana; and a nephew Klaus Sinfelt and his wife Sara of New York City.
Fred taught English at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) from January 1960 through January 1986. He held three degrees in English from The Pennsylvania State University. His doctoral study on Irish novelist George Moore, revised and later published as George Moore: Ireland’s Unconventional Realist, was recognized as authoritative by both Cambridge University, England and the Sorbonne, Paris. Copies of the study are housed in both universities’ libraries’ George Moore Special Collections.
In the early 1950s, Fred began his career teaching French and World History at Philipsburg Junior-Senior High School. Also in the 1950s, he served in the United States Army in the Army Security Agency, where he studied Russian at Oberammergau, Germany for military purposes. He also studied German through the University of Mayland Army Program.
In the 1960s, Fred was an advisor to the Kappa Delta Rho (KDR) fraternity at IUP, during which time the organization began its annual Christmas season walk to Pittsburgh to benefit the Children’s Hospital. He was also a member of Indiana’s “Bread for the World.” During his years at IUP, he belonged to the Modern Language Association (MLA) and Phi Delta Kappa (PDK). At his retirement, he was awarded emeritus status by the university.
Fred and his wife were charter contributors to the Indiana County YMCA. He and his family were also contributors to the IUP Athletic Hall of Fame. From 1974 to 2020, Fred swam 16,000 miles at the YMCA and IUP swimming facilities.
Fred had a lifetime interest in music, enjoyed playing the piano, and for many years was a member of the Wilhelm Furtwängler, Sir Thomas Beecham, Fritz Reiner, and the American Wagner societies. He was also a member of the Metropolitan Opera Guild. Through these, he was instrumental in perpetuating and preserving the commercial recordings and especially the “live” radio broadcasts of conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler and American soprano, Helen Traubel, among others.
Services for Fred will be private. Arrangements are in charge of Robinson-Lytle- Shoemaker Funeral Home, 36 N 7th Street, Indiana. Interment will be in Oakland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to the Indiana YMCA or a charity of one’s choosing. He will be deeply missed by family and friends.
To view the online obituary, sign the guest registry or send condolences, please visit www.shoemakerfamilyservices.com
