Fred Hampton Reger

Fred Reger, 79, of Manassas, Virginia, passed away on 22 April 2023 after a brief battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Ann Reger; his children, Lyle (Ann) Reger and Kelly (Russell) Wilson; his grandchildren, Emma Harris, Savannah Reger, Jay Wilson, and Philip Reger; and his sisters Alice Chambliss and Susan Melton. Fred was born in July of 1943 to Mason and Sigrid Reger in Ontario, Oregon. The family would later settle in Mount Jackson, Virginia where Fred graduated from Stonewall Jackson High School in 1961. Fred joined the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI) in Blacksburg, Virginia and graduated with a Bachelor of Science and later a Master of Science in Education. Fred was a member of the VPI cheerleading squad and a proud alumnus who was known to boisterously cheer “Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, Hi!” at any given time. In 1963, Fred met Ann Sorrels at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, while dropping his sister off at the library. Some friendly banter and an invitation to lunch led to a June wedding in 1965 and 57 years of marriage. The pair moved to Fairfax, Virginia where Fred began teaching Distributive Education at Oakton High School and worked as the PA announcer for Oakton football games. In 1978, Fred was bitten by the auction bug and started teaching himself how to run numbers. He graduated from the Mendenhall School of Auctioneering in Highpoint, North Carolina, in June of that year and began his career as an auctioneer – never looking back. He was an active member of the auctioneer community serving in various roles at the local, state, and national level. He would also return to Mendenhall as an instructor and serve as a mentor to many in the profession. Proud moments for Fred included earning the title of 1982 Virginia State Champion Auctioneer and being inducted into the Virginia Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame in 2004. He also had the unique experience of selling storage on an episode of TV’s “Auction Hunters" which aired May 2012. After working with several auction houses, he started his own auction company in 1994 specializing in fundraising, real estate, and storage. While he enjoyed the people, challenges, and opportunities that each of the genres presented, the benefit auction was his real love as it combined his passion for community service with his joy of auctioneering. The signature derby hats he and his team wore were synonymous with his mantra, “we are here for the cause, not the deal”. For the next 25 years he would support numerous non-profit organizations to include Goodwill, American Cancer Society, Special Olympics DC, and Wounded Warriors as well as conservation groups like Safari Club International, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, and the National Wild Turkey Federation. In his free time, Fred enjoyed whitewater rafting, wood carving, reading, fishing, and a decent glass of scotch. He appreciated a good baseball, football, or hockey game and was the best of grandpas on the sidelines of his grandchildren’s sporting events. He loved spending time with family and friends. To paraphrase Will Rogers, strangers were friends he hadn’t met yet. Fred loved telling a good story, perhaps even stretching it a bit, as a good story teller does. He was a force of nature with a big smile and a booming voice. He left behind a legacy of hard work, community service, and generosity as well as a love of life that was authentic, unapologetic, and carried out on his own terms. A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 am on Thursday, 4 May 2023. The family will welcome guests at Pierce Funeral Home, in Manassas, Virginia, beginning at 10:00 am. After the service, the family will host a gathering at the Winery at Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia from 1:00-3:00 pm. In remembrance of Fred Reger’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the American Diabetes Association.

Fred Hampton Reger

July 13, 1943 - April 23, 2023