January 12, 1930 – April 15, 2023

Fred Brown LaBauve, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family on April 15, 2023.  He was 93 years young and living in Friendswood, TX at the time.

Fred is survived and missed by his loving wife of 57 years, Brenda Pace LaBauve of Friendswood, TX; his three children: Sarah (husband Robert) Musick of Dickinson, TX, Katie (husband Mark) Gallagher of Friendswood, TX, and Tobie (wife Megan) LaBauve of Friendswood, TX; and his four loving grandchildren: Emma Musick, Izaac & Ivy LaBauve, and Olivia Gallagher.  Fred was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Kay LaBauve Parnell of Houston, TX.

Fred was born on January 12, 1930 to Ervin Branch LaBauve and Louise Brown LaBauve in the small Walmart free town of Edna, TX.  Fred attended Edna High School where he excelled in math, sciences, and citizenship.  Other high school accomplishments include playing Hiram Higgins, the uncle (with a weak back) of ‘Cinderella Rose’ in the 1947 Senior Class play of the same name.  Fred also joined in with other boys from the senior class to indulge in a four course meal at four separate host locations (the boy’s mothers were the hosts) in and around Edna, TX.  The four course meal consisted of punch and appetizers; salad and wafers; baked ham, candied yams, spiced pickles, carrot sticks, English peas, and gum drops; and last but not least ice cream and cake.  The night concluded with “cold drinks” at the local café followed by mention of a flat tire and an all-night slumber party at an undisclosed location.

After graduating from Edna High School in 1947, Fred attended the University of Texas (at Austin), with a focus on pre-med that lasted into his sophomore year.  Tough academic life lessons led him to transfer to Southwest Texas State Teachers College (SWTSTC) in San Marcos, TX in the fall of 1949.  Fred graduated from SWTSTC in the summer of 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology.

After obtaining his degree, Fred was accepted into the US Navy Officer Candidate School (OCS) located in Newport, R.I. in January of 1953.  Upon graduation from OCS in May of 1953, he was placed on active duty and commissioned as an Ensign in the USNR.  Fred was then assigned to the USS Brown (DD-546), a destroyer based on the US West Coast.  The USS Brown was tasked with patrolling the Korean coast between Pohang and Pusan, and Fred served on board through the end of the Korean War.  Fred rose to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) as well as served on board the USS Pictor (AF-54), a stores and supply ship for the US Pacific Fleet, as the 1^st Lieutenant (officer in command of the deck department).  During his time in the US Navy, Fred earned the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Korea Medal, as well as the China Service Medal for recognition of service in and around China after World War II.  Fred was honorably discharged from the US Navy in May 1956.

Following Fred’s service in the US Navy, he moved to Houston, TX, where he did post-graduate work at the University of Houston.  Fred then continued his US Government service and found employment as a Medical Technologist in the Microbiology Department at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC, currently named the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center) in Houston, TX.  Fred had a passion for his work in the Microbiology Department which included, giving Veterans the highest standard of medical care possible, and training hospital residents to perform all of the required laboratory functions.  Fred spent time in multiple laboratories at the VAMC including the Mycobacteriology Lab with his final assignment in the Tuberculosis Lab.  Upon Fred’s retirement from VAMC and the US Government in February of 1992 after 37 years of service, the Tuberculosis Lab at the VAMC was renamed the LaBauve Tuberculosis Lab in his honor.

During Fred’s time working at the VAMC, he met and married Brenda Dianne Pace, the love of his life.  Together in 1967; they purchased a home on Tangley Street in West University Place, TX; where they lived and raised their three children.  While living in West U., Fred and his family were active members of West University Baptist Church.  Just prior to retirement in 1989, the family moved to a home on Huisache Street in Bellaire, TX; where Fred and Brenda spent time working in the yard and adding gardens and a large fish pond in the back yard.  Once their three children had moved on to college, the military, and their own careers; the two moved away from Houston and landed in Tyler, TX in 1996.  Their dream of living the small country farm life was made possible at the Log Cabin out on Hwy 271.  Fred spent his retirement days working to improve the property and tending to all of his gardens as well as Brenda’s goats.  In 2003, the farm life grew to be too much to handle and Brenda missed being near her grandchildren, so the two of them moved again.  Fred and Brenda moved several more times with stops in Willis, TX and Tomball, TX before a final move to Friendswood, TX in 2018.  In Friendswood, Fred and Brenda could be near their grandchildren while enjoying their independent living in a big city with a small town feel.

A Committal service will be held at the Houston National Cemetery (10410 Veterans Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77038) at 11:30 am on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 with an 11:00 to 11:15 am gate time.  A Celebration of Fred’s Life will follow at the conclusion of the service at his son’s house (2300 Lakeway Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546).  All are welcome to attend either.