David "Fred" Frederick Bovie

David "Fred" Frederick Bovie, 81, husband of Marian Louise Evans Bovie of Mt. Pleasant, SC entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, January 17, 2012. The relatives and friends of David "Fred" Bovie are invited to attend his Funeral Service on Monday, January 23, 2012 in Sunrise Presbyterian Church on Sullivan's Island at 11:00 am. Burial will be private. The family will receive friends on Sunday, January 22, 2012 in J. HENRY STUHR MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL from 5:00 until 7:00 pm.

Fred was born on December 13, 1930 in Jackson, Ohio, son of the late Fred Ernest Bovie and Jeanetta June Jones Bovie. Fred attended Jackson High School and North High School in Columbus, Ohio. He earned his undergraduate degree in welding engineering from Ohio State University in 1953. While at Ohio State he was in ROTC and after graduation he served 2 years as Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He attended Carnegie Mellon and earned a degree in electrical engineering, ultimately followed by a Masters degree in business administration from the University of Chicago.

Fred was married to Lou, his high school sweetheart, for a wonderful 59 years. He and his wife traveled worldwide with his company, Airco, for whom he worked for 27 years and was vice president. In 1981 the family moved to York, PA and Fred became the president and CEO of Alloy Rods Corporation. Fred and a colleague bought the company and after several years of growth successfully sold Alloy Rods to the ESAB Group. They took over ESAB's US operations and Fred was named ESAB's North American President in 1988. In 2000 Fred and Lou made what was about their 20th move to Isle of Palms, SC. Fred served on the foundation committee of the American Welding Society and was their first trustee emeritus. Fred offered scholarships through Ohio State University for opportunities for students pursuing careers in welding. In 2002, in Fred's honor, the D. Fred Library and Museum was established in Miami by the American Welding Society to institute a place where welding memorabilia, publications and documents can be displayed. In Fred's words "visitors coming to AWS should be able to understand the history and development of welding and it's profound impact on America's growth". Fred was the first benefactor of AWS's newly created "Service to Industry" award. Fred will be remembered for his dry sense of humor, his quick smile and for being fair and honest.

In addition to his wife Lou of Mt. Pleasant, SC; two daughters, Sally Hume and her husband, Emmett, of Skillman, NJ and Becky Wright and her husband, Peter, of Isle of Palms, SC; one brother, Steve Bovie and his wife, Dee, of Savannah, GA; four grandchildren, David Dylan Hume, Cava Louise Hume, Daniel Irving Wright and Nicholas Morgan Wright. He was preceded in death by his parents and his daughter, Barbara Sue Bovie.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in his memory may be made to the American Parkinson's Disease Association, 135 Parkinson Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10305. Telephone number 800-223-2732 or www.adpaparkinson.org.