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Fred Janney, Former Avery Point Administrator, Dies
Fred Janney, a former assistant director of the Avery Point Campus, died July 19, after a 14-year battle with multiple sclerosis. He was 69.
Janney, who lived in Groton, received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, and a master’s degree in athletic training and management from Indiana University. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Germany from 1953 to 1955.
A physical education teacher at public schools in Ohio, Janney became an athletic trainer at UConn in 1966. He traveled with the men’s basketball, soccer, and track and field teams, and also assisted with football. He became the first athletic director at the Avery Point Campus in 1970, where he coached a successful cross-country team and began the baseball program. Also at Avery Point, Janney held positions as registrar, business manager, and assistant director of the campus. He retired in 1991 due to illness.
Tom Pike, parking ombudsman and former athletic trainer at UConn, knew Janney well. “Fred was respected by the athletes and coaches for his athletic training skills,” Pike says. “He had a genuine interest in their lives, in addition to their health.”
Pike also notes that Janney “was missed greatly as an associate and friend when he transferred to Avery Point, though our friendship remained to the end.”
Janney, a recipient of the Groton “Friend of Education” award, also coached girls’ softball at Stonington and Fitch high schools. An avid sailor, he raced for many years during the summer and was a member of the Ram Island Yacht Club. He was an active supporter of the Mystic Community Center, serving for many years on the Center’s Board of Trustees and as vice president. And he was a deacon in the Mystic Congregational Church.
He is survived by Kay Print Janney, his wife of 44 years; two sons and their families; a sister; and four grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to “Friends of Avery Point Baseball,” c/o the UConn Foundation, 2390 Alumni Drive, Unit 3206, Storrs, CT 06269-3206, or to the Visiting Nurses Association of Southeastern Connecticut, 403 North Frontage Road, Waterford, CT 06385.
