Fred Bockenstedt

Fred Bockenstedt, 85, passed away peacefully on September 5th, 2026, in his Leavenworth home, surrounded by his family.

Born January 10, 1941, in New Vienna, Iowa, Fred is dearly missed by his wife, Barbara; his children, Wendy (Bob), Lisa (Eric), and Craig (Lynn); and his six grandchildren: Gage, Chris, Bren, Andrew, Nathan, and Anna. He is also survived by four sisters, two brothers, and a supportive extended family and community of friends.

Raised in a large Catholic family on the family farm, Fred grew up with a deep faith, a strong work ethic, and an innate mechanical and spatial reasoning ability honed through years of hands-on farm life. He carried these gifts with him to Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he began shaping the foundation of a life defined by curiosity, craftsmanship, and service.

After college, Fred pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. Along the way, he served his country as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. While studying medicine, he discovered he loved radiology. He went on to practice during a golden era of medical innovation, helping bring the first ultrasound machine, CT scanner, and MRI to the Wenatchee Valley. These technologies, now standard, were groundbreaking at the time and required new skills, new systems, and new ways of thinking. Fred embraced the challenge wholeheartedly, always driven by the belief that his community deserved the best care available. Fred's contributions extended far beyond the reading room. As head of the building committee, he helped shape the expansion of the Confluence Health campus, including the well-known "Bockenstedt Boulevard," a shortcut still used by patients today. He later served as Medical Director from 1989 to 2003, earning recognition as the clinic's Most Supportive Physician in 1993. He took great pride in recruiting talented physicians who shared his love of medicine and the Wenatchee Valley.

Above all accomplishments, Fred's greatest joy was spending time with his family. When he and Barbara settled in Washington, they built a life centered around time together in both Leavenworth and at the Lake Wenatchee cabin, where Fred's children spent nearly every summer weekend and many winter ones too. Days were spent boating, hiking, fishing, skiing, and exploring, creating a rhythm of outdoor life that shaped the family's identity. For more than forty years, the cabin was where the family gathered, often around the table and benches Fred built himself. His grandchildren grew up with the same traditions: summers on the lake, winters in the snow, and countless memories made with Grandpa always nearby. Fred's happiest days were spent surrounded by the people he loved most.

Throughout his life, Fred remained a faith-filled Catholic. For decades, the Bockenstedts could be found in the second pew at St. Joseph's 10:30 AM Mass, where Fred sang in the choir. After moving to Leavenworth, he and Barbara became active parishioners at Our Lady of the Snows, where Fred participated in the Knights of Columbus and led the building committee.

A memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, October 23, 2026, at St. Joseph's in Wenatchee, followed by a reception in the rectory hall. Fred was never one for formal dress and never owned a stitch of black clothing, so please come as you are.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Confluence Foundation for hospice education. Fred was instrumental in the establishment of the Wenatchee Valley Clinic, which later became Confluence Health. Hospice was a profound gift to Fred and his family in his final days, and he would want others in the valley to receive the same exceptional end-of-life care.