The town of Bristol lost one of its most prominent citizens last week, one who came from Portugal to find success in business and serve as a credit to the community — Frederico  M. “Fred” Pacheco, 79.

Mr. Pacheco passed on Dec. 23 after a brief illness. He was a very special human being, beloved and respected. He was a man of high integrity.

Fred Pacheco was one in a long line of Portuguese immigrants who came to this country with an outline for success. Following in the footsteps of men like Caesar Brito, Dr. Manuel L. Da Silva, and Luis D. Martins, to name a few, Fred was a man of vision. He was a successful author, a renowned world traveler, a vocal member of the Portuguese-American community here in Bristol, and a man who got things done.

Born in Ponta Delgada in the Azores, he served in the army and later worked for the U.S. Air Force at Lages Air Force Base in Terceira. Bristol Town Administrator Antonio “Tony” Teixeira called Mr. Pacheco not only a credit to his community, but a true, loyal friend.

“Fred, as we got to know him, was a very civic-minded person,” Mr. Teixeira said. “He loved the United States of America for granting him and his family the opportunity to follow their dreams that would not have been afforded had they stayed in the Azores. Fred was not just about the Portuguese Community, but also about the Town of Bristol. He loved everything about this beautiful, historical town. He made that very clear through his civic memberships that not only helped the Bristol community, but great causes supported by the various organizations.

“Fred was very strong-minded," Mr. Teixeira continued. "If he thought that a project was worth the cause, he would pursue it until completed. A void is left in our community with the passing of Fred Pacheco and Dr. Manuel DaSilva, two pillars of our Bristol community who have contributed so much to make it a better place for all of us. They both have made a difference and left their footprints for us to follow.”

When he came to Bristol, Fred Pacheco made an immediate impact and became one of the town’s most energetic civic leaders. He loved keeping busy and making new friends. You’d see him riding around neighborhood streets in his car sporting his trademark “VOYAGE” vanity plates.

In 1988, he received Bristol’s highest honor when he was selected Chief Marshal of the Fourth of July Parade. Up until his death, he always considered that to be one of his greatest honors.

His 2011 book, Citizen of the World...My Memoirs, was a huge success, so much so that he was ready to do a sequel.

Throughout his years in Bristol, Fred loved politics and treasured getting involved with many clubs and organizations. He was a past president of the Bristol Rotary Club and a member of St. Elizabeth Church, his beloved parish. He also served as chairman of the Bristol County Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors of Ocean State Development Authority, Roger Williams University Advisory Board, Bristol Schools Advisory Board and the Kaiser Complex Revitalization Committee, and president of the Kaiser Neighbor’s Committee and the Town of Bristol Local Development Corp.

In addition, he served as president of the New England Academy of Codfish (Bacalhau), president of the World Wide Travel Agents’ Association, founder and vice president of the Association of Professional Travel Agents (APTA). He was also well-known as a moderator and participant in numerous radio and television programs.

Fred’s list of awards and achievements were many. He received a service award from the Portuguese American Federation, a Gold Medal of Merit for Distinguished Service to the Portuguese community, Portuguese government honor, Immigrant of the Year, Bristol County Chamber of Commerce “Citizen of the Year,” Portuguese Continental Union “Family of the Year,” Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow, and Bristol Sports Club “Man of the Year.”

An astute businessman, Fred opened a successful insurance agency during his early years in Bristol, and later founded the Bristol County Travel Agency. Throughout his world-wide travels, Fred and Deodete, his wife of 52 years, visited 107 countries, of which Fred was always proud. Recently, he led a committee to create a monument honoring his good friend and fellow civic leader, the late Dr. Manuel L. DaSilva.

“He was always there for me to give me encouragement during the hard times and good,” said friend, Tony Avila. “I remember getting his book and taking it on vacation to Aruba to read. It was one of the books that I remember reading from beginning to end. I called him from Aruba to let him know that I had loved reading it, and he could not believe that I took the time to call and say that to him. He would always mention that to me and to people when I was with him. He was just a wonderful man to be around … full of life and love.”

One of Fred’s greatest achievements was his contributions to the town in the revitalization of the Kaiser Complex, resulting in the creation of Franklin Court Assisted and Independent Living.

“I was most proud of that,” he admitted in an earlier interview. “To see that project come to fruition made me extremely happy.”

Besides his wife, Deodete, Fred is survived by a daughter, Angela Cabral, a son, Dr. Paulo A. Pacheco, and four grandchildren. He also has several nieces and nephews.

At his wake at Smith Funeral Home in Warren on Sunday, hundreds of people, including many members of his beloved Bristol Rotary Club, paid their last respects. It was as if Fred had purposely opened his arms and heart to welcome all of these people one last time.

Fred’s daughter, Angela, put everything in perspective.

“My dad was an incredible father to me,” she said. “He was my inspiration and hero. He was an immigrant who truly lived the American dream. He was a proud, self-made, faithful man who worked tirelessly to provide a better life and future for our family. He adored my mother. They were best of friends and were always together. He adored his grandchildren and they loved being with their fun and energetic 'Vavo.'

"I love that he was so dedicated and proud of our beautiful town and especially the 4th of July. He always welcomed everyone into his home and at his table. My dad was a passionate and charismatic soul. When he walked into a party, he would light up the room with laughter, stories, dancing and always got into a philosophical discussion about everything.

"He loved life and lived it to the fullest. He always gave the greatest hugs and kisses. When I think of my father and what he has done with his life, I feel incredibly blessed and honored to be his daughter. He was a one of a kind citizen of the world.”