Fred Sington Jr., one of Gadsden’s longtime civic leaders, died Tuesday at the age of 82.
Sington was involved in numerous activities throughout his life, including military service, college football, business ownership and civil service.
“Fred was an exceptional public servant as well as an excellent businessman,” former Gadsden Mayor Steve Means said in a statement.
Sington served as assistant to the mayor for 14 years under Means.
Members of the Gadsden City Council expressed their condolences to the family during Tuesday’s meeting and talked about what Sington meant to the city.
“I would call him a goodwill ambassador, and a person who never met a stranger and did a lot of civic work over the years,” said Mayor Sherman Guyton.
“Fred was a real friend of mine for a long time, and we’re going to miss him,” said city council member Bob Echols.
Sington’s father was a standout athlete at the University of Alabama, and he followed in his father’s footsteps at the Capstone, where he lettered in football and played under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
His years in college were interrupted by military service.
Sington served in the Navy Reserve from 1953 to 1963, but he was on active duty from 1955 to 1957.
He earned a law degree from Alabama along with a master's degree in labor law from Cornell.
From 1965 until 1986, Sington was the co-owner of Fred Sington Sporting Goods, and he also led Consolidated National Life Insurance Co.
Sington was involved in both community and government groups in Etowah County.
“At one point in my years as mayor, I needed someone with a business background who shared my vision for a progressive city,” Means said. “Fred was the obvious choice.
“After many years as my administrative assistant, I wanted someone who could take our airport to a new level. I gave Fred that responsibility, and within a few years, we had developed the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport and the Airport Authority. The rest is history,” Means said. “Thanks primarily to Fred’s dedication and hard work, Gadsden boasts one of the finest airports in the Southeast.”
In addition to his work with the airport, Sington served terms as president of the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Alabama, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, president of the Alabama Retail Association and many others.
Throughout his life, Sington was honored with numerous awards, including the Spirit of Citizenship Man of the Year in 2012 and the Boy Scouts Golden Eagle Man of the Year, and he was inducted into a number of halls of fame, such as the Gadsden-Etowah Patriots Association Hall of Honor, the Etowah County Sports Hall of Fame and the ASA Alabama Softball Hall of Fame.
He was also an adjunct professor for Gadsden State Community College and Jacksonville State.
For nearly 50 years, his voice could be heard on the airwaves as he served as a commentator for both high school and college sports.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.