LARGO, FL ---- Frederick (Freddie) Cabral, 81, of Largo, Florida passed away after a period of declining health. His battles against heart disease and vascular disease are in fact legendary, but his life was about so much more than his illness.
He was born in 1943 to Fred and Helen (Dwyer) Cabral in Boston, even though he told everyone he was born in Cambridge. He lived in Newtowne Court and on Berkshire Place. As a teen he went to St. Mary's High School but left when his Drum Corp separated from the school. He was a proud member of the Cambridge Caballeros and a gifted tenor drummer. He graduated from Cambridge Rindge Technical School.
After high school he joined the United States Air Force where he trained in Texas and spent 3 years in Germany in the early 60's. He was an accomplished amateur heavy weight boxer and was the Heavyweight Champion for all of US Armed Forces in Europe.
After being honorably discharged he married the love of his life Mary Hamilton. He and Mary had 4 children, Frederick, Christine, Jennifer, and Francis, who became his whole life. Freddie could be found anywhere his kids, and other kids could be found. He served as the Assistant Pack Leader of Cub Scout Troop 41. He ran an open gym program at the Harrington School and taught boxing to neighborhood kids several nights a week.
He became President of the East Cambridge Little Baseball League in addition to being a coach. He ran the league for many years coaching hundreds of kids. Later in life, nothing made him happier than to run into former players from the league.
He worked for the city of Cambridge Public Works department and acted as a mentor to many of the people who worked with him in the carpentry shop. He retired as a supervisor of building maintenance in 2006 after 34 years.
Freddie loved his sons-in-laws Don LeBlanc and Scott Makseyn and his daughter-in-law Michelle Cabral. He was proud of the families each of his kids built. He was an incredible grandfather to Charlene and Stephanie LeBlanc, Danielle and Sami Makseyn, Meghan and Jake Cabral and Farrah and Juliet Cabral. He played with his grandkids just like he played with his kids, he was always telling them stories about werewolves, vampires, and dinosaurs. He was never too busy to stop and watch a performance, sing a song, or play a game. He continued this into the next generation with his great-granddaughter Chloe Nedeau.
Once his kids were grown, he picked up his drum sticks again, marching as part of the Boston Crusaders Alumni Corp where he was crowned the Prince of Tenor drummers by the rest of the drum line.
He is survived by Mary his wife of 59 years, his sister Carol Uniacke and her husband Bob of Naples Florida, and his brother Richard and his wife Marie, also of Naples.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, September 6, 2024, at 10:00am at the St. Andre Bessette Parish - Sacred Heart Church, 291 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH.
Burial with Military Honors will follow at 12:00pm in the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen, NH.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.