TILTON --- Formerly of Bridgewater, Frederick “Fred” MacLean, 91, died peacefully on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at the New Hampshire Veterans Home surrounded by family.
Born and raised in Auburn, MA, Fred was the youngest of 8 children. He served his country honorably in the United States Army from 1958 – 1962 and was stationed in Korea. On June 7, 1958, Fred married Florence L. (Sutherland) MacLean and together they lived a life of faith and service to others. Having lived in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, the family settled in Bridgewater in 1979, where they owned and operated Newfound Grocery and made a lasting impact on the Newfound Community. Fred founded the Bridgewater Turkey Trot in 1981 and he was instrumental in bringing the first NH Marathon to Bristol in 1993. Fred was an avid New England sports fan and loved the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Pats. He was also active with many other sporting and community activities as well as the local parish. After retirement, Fred settled in Prince Edward Island, Canada before returning to NH.
He is survived by nine children: Debra (Bob Dell) MacLean, of Caledonia, NY, Kevin MacLean, of Keene, NH, Brian (Deborah) MacLean, of Cape Carteret, NC, Keith MacLean, of Plymouth, Laurie (Chris) Tollefsen, of Columbia, SC, Mark (Kelly) MacLean, of Tilton, Matthew MacLean, of Hanover, David (Bonnie) MacLean, of Spring Grove, PA, Daniel (Stacy May) MacLean, of New Hampton; 21 grandchildren: Rebecca (Mike) Garone, Melissa Stoudt, Christine (Travis) Dilts, Stacey Benken, Katie MacLean, Michael (Alexis) MacLean, Joshua MacLean, Emma (Daniel) Hellerman, Olaf (Brooke) Tollefsen, Alice Tollefsen, Joseph (Anqi) Tollefsen, Abraham Tollefsen, Hildegard Tollefsen, MacLean Tollefsen, Leif Tollefsen, Mariama Tollefsen, Olivia MacLean, Camden MacLean, Ella MacLean, Tyler MacLean, Brady MacLean; 19 great grandchildren; and many many nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was predeceased by wife Florence, his parents Spurgeon and Rebecca (Howard) MacLean, his siblings: Thelma, Gordon, Kay, Howard, Dell, John Gilbert and Hazel and his granddaughter, Tracey MacLean.
A memorial mass will be held on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 10:30 am at Our Lady of Grace Chapel of Holy Trinity Parish, 2 West Shore Road, Bristol.
Interment will be at a later date at the family cemetery in Portage, ME.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Fred’s memory to: St Francis Inn, 2441 Kensington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/Emmons Funeral Home, 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 and EmmonsFuneralHome.com.