Roll Call Tribute

Frederick Thomas "Freddie" Kasper 

January 16, 1958 - August 27, 2024 

Son, Brother, Friend, Cousin, Uncle, Dad, Husband. All these describe Freddie Kasper.

Born January 16, 1958, son of Martha Glynn and the late Wilfred Alvin Kasper, Freddie Kasper was a good man. While he spent grade school in Garland, Texas, Freddie returned to his roots in Forney, Texas, in 8th grade, and then gave years of service to the Future Farmers of America and the Student Council at Forney High School.

He met his wife, Billie, the day before classes began at Texas A&M University in the fall of 1976 as “fish” Kasper, one of the Corps of Cadets. They were married on July 24, 1982 in her hometown of Irving, Texas. Freddie followed his father and uncle into the fire service, starting his career at Carrollton Fire Department on January 16, 1986. He soon convinced his city girl to move to Talty, Texas, down the road from where his parents grew up. They built a house together, started a farm together, and made it a home with the birth of their son, Daniel Thomas, in 1990, followed by their daughter Kody Elizabeth in 1992. In 1994, he helped Billie realize the dream of owning her own flower shop where he became her holiday helper and all-around handyman for many years.

Before becoming a firefighter, his work at Mosher Steel, Norton Concrete, and Pioneer Concrete meant that he was always ready and able to create anything out of nothing. If you needed something built, or you broke something and wanted it fixed, Freddie could definitely offer advice and he probably had the exact tool you needed in his truck.

As the children grew up, he guided them back to his roots, through the joy and responsibility of joining the FFA. Together, they showed rabbits, pigs, goats, steers, commercial heifers, and a Brahman bull at shows including the Kaufman County Show, the Fort Worth Stock Show, and the Great State Fair of Texas.

Freddie enjoyed cooking for a crowd and experimenting in the kitchen, and his fire station and deer hunting friends could attest. His best buck was a high-tined eight-point whitetail deer, and while he saved many lives as a firefighter, one of his finest moments was photographed in the Dallas Morning News after a water rescue on the Trinity River.

A life-long advocate for college and practical learning, Freddie studied for and passed the arson investigator exam for the State of Texas, took classes at the Eastfield Campus of Dallas Community College, and passed the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement exam to become a peace officer in Texas. After retiring from Carrollton FD, he was hired by the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Office and became a vital part of a whole new set of friends and family. His five years as a deputy demonstrated to us all that Freddie never met a person he would call a stranger.

Greeting him in heaven was his father Wilfred, his father-in-law Sterling James Ford, his aunt Ann McConnell Glynn, his aunt Blanche Glynn Rizkal, his cousin Kenneth Wayne Schlebach, as well as many loving friends and relatives. Staying behind to cherish him is Billie, his wife of 42 years, his children Daniel and Kody, his mother Martha, his sister Lisa, his brother Michael and wife Mollie, along with nephews, nieces, great nieces and great nephews, a whole mess of cousins, a heap of friends, and everyone who ever called him family.

There will be a gathering on Sunday, September 22 from 5-7PM at Max Slayton Funeral Home, 642 N. Rockwall Ave, Terrell, TX. Services will be held on Monday, September 23, at 11AM at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, 702 N. Frances St, Terrell, TX. We will gather at the church hall across the street following the service.

The family asks that if you are so moved to bring your favorite dish–appetizer, entree, or dessert–to share at the service, or you can donate in his memory to the International Association of Fire Fighters Fill the Boot Campaign. As Freddie would be the first to tell you, we should all get together to eat a little and visit about all the good memories, so we would be so honored if you could join us.