Memorial Trees
S
Siobhan and Michael Hickey
January 11, 2025
Memorial trees planted for:
Frederick J. Visser
<p>Frederick “Jody” Visser, age 82 of Glen Rock passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, January 5, 2025. </p><p><br></p><p>He was born on January 20, 1942 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, NJ to Fred and Henrietta Visser. As a teen, growing up in Midland Park, he gave himself the nickname “Jody” since he didn’t see himself as a “Freddy”. He would be known as “Jody” to most family and friends for the remainder of his life.</p><p><br></p><p>Jody was admired as a true self-made, Renaissance man. Driven by a passion for knowledge and a constant curiosity about how things worked, he built a successful and fulfilling life with little formal education. All who knew him were in awe of his intelligence, gifts as a problem solver and critical thinker as well as his ability to figure out how to fix or build anything. This is supported by the many legendary stories we love to share about him. Quitting high school at a young age, he later obtained his GED on a whim. When dropping off a friend to take the test, he decided to take it himself despite no preparation or studying. He aced it. At one point, he developed an interest in medicine and spent hours in medical libraries, teaching himself to read and understand complex medical journals. He could master anything he desired. He was a skilled chess player and excelled at billiards and bowling in his youth. He developed a love and passion for horses and harness racing, learning all he could about the animals and the sport. He combined this knowledge with statistical reasoning and logic to become a successful owner of many racehorses through the years, including a world record holder, Majestic Charger! From an early age, he focused on longevity, researching ways to navigate the challenges of aging and taking steps to care for his body and mind. Even at the age of 82, neighbors would speak about seeing him riding a bike around the neighborhood as part of his recovery from a broken hip. He was active and always lived with the mindset of a much younger man.</p><p><br></p><p>In his professional life, he was an inventor and entrepreneur. Over 40 years ago, while working as a core driller for a company, he developed an invention that allowed him to drill holes faster and charge less than the competition. This innovation enabled him to work for himself for the final 40 years of his career, continuing all the way into his 80s as a core driller. When asked why no one replicated what he built, he explained, “Anyone could replicate what I built, but the edge is I know how to fix it when it breaks down, and at high speed, it will break down often.” He always found the edge. He understood risk and reward on a profound level, making his decisions not just thoughtful but wise.</p><p><br></p><p>Beyond all these accomplishments he was a proud father who loved his children. He loved to share his wisdom and approach to life and problem solving with everyone in his life. One of his greatest lessons to his family and friends was to question conventional wisdom. “1+1 is 2,” he would say, “but everything you hear from people and books are opinions. Never believe there’s just one answer; there’s only an approach to solving a problem that will evolve.” He had a philosophy to embrace uncertainty and think critically about the world. He lived his life fully and unapologetically, always staying true to himself. He leaves behind a legacy of wisdom, resilience, and an approach to life that continues to inspire his family and friends. He will be deeply missed but forever remembered for the countless ways he enriched the lives of those he touched. </p><p><br></p><p>He is survived by his three children, Jordi Visser of Brooklyn, Jonathan Visser and his wife Susan of Flanders and Gabrielle Visser Trumbull of Morristown, his grandchildren, Mallory, Hanna, Elise, Jordi, Juliette, Matthew and Allison and great-granddaughter, Nova. He is also survived by his friend Lynn and her two children, Eric and Ellen who were an important part of his life in later years. </p><p><br></p><p>In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Glen Rock Volunteer Fire Department, 1 Harding Plaza, Glen Rock, NJ 07452 or online: https://www.glenrockfd.org/support-the-glen-rock-volunteer-fire-department/. We will be forever grateful to all the first responders from Glen Rock and surrounding towns who showed great care and compassion as they bravely fought to save our beloved father, grandfather, and friend.</p>January 20, 1942 - January 5, 202501/20/194201/05/2025
Share Obituary: