Mr. Frederick L. Omundson, age 76, formerly of Griffin, Georgia and Charlotte, NC and most recently of Big Canoe, Jasper, Georgia died Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
A memorial service will be held at 1pm Thursday, May 24, 2012 at the Big Canoe Chapel with Reverends Len Walker, Lamar Helms and Jim McCormick officiating.

Mr. Omundson was born January 13, 1936 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Mr. Clifford R. Omundson and Eunice Louise Simon Omundson. He was raised in Elmhurst, Illinois along with his sister, Marilyn, and graduated from York Community High School in Elmhurst in 1954 and Iowa State University in 1957 with a BS in Forestry and Wood Utilization. Upon graduation, Mr. Omundson spent six years in service to this country through the Army and Army Reserves as an artillery Sergeant before starting his career in the wood industry. During his early professional years, he was employed by Unit Structures, Inc. as a design estimator and later as a sales rep for office locations in Magnolia, Arkansas, Dallas, Texas and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In 1966 Mr. Omundson joined Osmose Wood Preserving Company in Griffin, Georgia and served for 17 years as the Marketing Manager and Manager of the Wood Treating Division and continued this focus in 1983 when he accepted a position responsible for the Sales and Marketing of all wood preserving chemicals, products and services with Mineral Research and Development Corporation in Charlotte, NC. This company was purchased by Chemical Specialties Inc. (CSI) and in 1994, Mr. Omundson retired as the CSI Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, and continued to serve as an industry consultant, specializing in fire retardants for another 15 years.

During his career, he founded and participated in many committees and organizations nationwide with similar missions such as the American Wood Preservers Bureau, American Wood-Preservers Association, Society of American Wood Preservers, Society of American Foresters, Forest Products Research Society, American Management Association, and, most recently in Georgia, with the Big Canoe Conservation Committee. He has received numerous national, state and local awards during his career and was most recently honored by the Big Canoe Conservation Committee with the establishment of the ‘Fred Omundson Conservation Leadership Award’ for his consistent and insightful leadership in organizing Big Canoe’s conservation efforts including inspiring the project to save the Big Canoe hemlocks.
With a strong faith and love of his Heavenly Father, Mr. Omundson was very active in a church wherever he lived, the First United Methodist Church in Griffin, Georgia, the Sharon United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC, and the Big Canoe Chapel in Big Canoe, Jasper, Georgia. Giving generously of his time, talent and treasure, he served as a Sunday School Teacher, Small Group Leader, Committee Chair, and Stephen’s Minister and as a member of numerous Boards of Trustees.

His other interests and activities included Boy Scouts, After School Program for underprivileged children. He served on the Hospital Authority of the Griffin-Spalding County Hospital for three years as Chair of the Finance Committee.

He generously shared his woodworking talents with nonprofit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Good Samaritan Clinic, and many needy and elderly people in local communities that were in need of donated home repairs. His inspirational and motivational personality was valuable to many through his involvement as: Trustee for the Big Canoe Chapel; President for the Big Canoe Cemetery Corporation; Secretary for the Big Canoe POA Board; Member of the Big Canoe HOA Board; and Founding Board Member of Leadership Big Canoe.

As a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend, Mr. Omundson is preceded in death by his parents, and his sister Marilyn Omundson Davis. Left to cherish the time they shared together are his wife of 54 years, Carolyn Shehan Omundson, a daughter, Laura Lee Omundson Moore and her husband Michael Hayden Moore, Sr. of Sugar Hill, Georgia; a daughter Anne Michelle Omundson Roberts and her husband Charles Edward Roberts of Ranger, Georgia; a grandson, Michael Hayden Moore, Jr. and his wife Jessi Rose Myers Moore of Huntsville, Alabama; a granddaughter Anna Lee Moore of Dallas, Georgia; a granddaughter KatieLynn Chester Moore of Sugar Hill, Georgia; and two nieces Sara Lee Davis and her husband Christopher Haun of Chicago, Illinois and Nell Louise Davis and her husband Coy Theobolt of Denver, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, Mr. Omundson has requested that memorial gifts be made to the Big Canoe Conservation Committee for the ‘Plant a Tree Program’ in Big Canoe, Georgia. He very much desired to do his part in preserving one of the greatest blessings in Big Canoe, the trees. Contributions can be made payable to ‘Big Canoe Conservation Committee’ with a notation for the ‘Plant a Tree Program’ in the memo section and mailed to Big Canoe Conservation Committee, 10586 Big Canoe, Jasper, Georgia 30143.