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Frederick Whitlow Wikander, MD, 76, of Chelmsford, MA entered into rest Wednesday afternoon, August 9, 2023 at Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers, MA.
He was the beloved husband of Esther F. (Marx) Wikander with whom he celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary on June 29, 2023.
Born in Philadelphia, PA, he was the son of the late Lawrence and Ethel Marie (Whitlow) Wikander. The family moved to Northampton, MA where he spent most of his childhood.
Fred graduated from Mt. Hermon School in Gill, MA with the class of 1964. He was a graduate of American University in Washington, DC where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Dr. Wikander graduated from Wake Forest University Medical School in Winston Salem, NC with the class of 1972 with a doctorate in medicine.
He was certified in Internal Medicine and was a member of Middlesex North MA Medical Society.
He volunteered at the Table of Plenty in Chelmsford, Lowell Community Health Center, and AARP as a Tax Preparer.
Dr. Wikander joined Chelmsford Medical Associates as a partner in 1977 and later founded Chelmsford Primary Care. He will be remembered for his devotion to his patients and his quick witted humor.
He is an Eagle Scout. He was a member of Congregation Shalom in Chelmsford where he was also a member of the Brotherhood.
He enjoyed golfing, woodworking, travelling, spending summers on Balch Lake in Maine and wintering in Delray Beach, FL. Fred was at his happiest when he was surrounded by his 7 grandchildren on his boat giving tube and water ski rides to all.
Besides his wife, he is survived by his son, Eric and his wife, Bree Wikander of Parkland, FL; his daughter, Kristen and her husband, Paul Nemeskal of Danvers, MA; his grandchildren, Benjamin Wikander, Rachel Wikander, Sarah Wikander, Catherine Nemeskal, Shea Nemeskal, Trevor Nemeskal and Drew Nemeskal, and his brother, Matthew Wikander and his wife, Christine Child of Toledo, OH.
FUNERAL NOTICE
Dr. Wikander’s Funeral will be Sunday, August 13, 2023 at 12 Noon at Congregation Shalom, 87 Richardson Rd., N. Chelmsford, MA. Burial in Temple Beth El Cemetery, Chelmsford, MA 01863. Shiva hours will be Sunday evening, August 13, 2023 from 7 to 9pm at Congregation Shalom. Memorials may be made in his name to Lowell General Hospital Cancer Center, 295 Varnum Ave. Lowell, MA 01854 or Wake Forest School of Medicine, 475 Vine St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. ARRANGEMENTS BY MORSE BAYLISS FUNERAL HOME 978-458-6841. Livestreaming of funeral service and guestbook at www.morsebaylissfuneralhome.com
30 responses to “Frederick W. Wikander, MD of Chelmsford, MA”
Dr. Fred was my idol and role model of a complete, caring, devoted and selfless Physician; he was one of a kind and volunteered til his very end..
We want to express our sincere condolences to the Wikander Family. Our thoughts & prayers with each & every one of you (Esther, Eric & Bree & their Family, & Kristin & Paul & their Family). Dr Fred Wikander will be sadly missed. He always loved to joke around and gave me the nickname Burt. He was very nice to my family and I as we were neighbors of the Wikander family years ago and we would have neighborhood get togthers. We had one of the best neighborhoods/streets around. He was one of two doctors on our street years ago. Sometimes he even made house calls on our street. He will be sadly missed. We are always here for you.
So sorry to hear about Fred
sending thoughts and prayers
May his memory be a blessing
Carolyn and Paul Hantman
Deep sympathy to Esther and the family and friends of such a wonderful man.
Sending heartfelt condolences to the whole family at the loss of a great man. He is at peace now and suffering is over.
Wishing you happy memories of a life well lived.
Love, Joyce
Esther and family,
I’m very sorry for your loss. He will be missed on Balch Lake.
Sincerely,
Kristen and David Ingmire (HI Camp – 11 Greenbay Rd)
Fred was a wonderful, kind hearted soul. He will be missed by all that knew him. I am happy that I got to know Esther and him when they wintered in Florida . Lois Captain
Dear Esther and family,
I am so very sorry to hear of Fred’s passing. May loving memories bring you comfort and peace.
Sincerely,
Annette Storch
Your friend at Four Seasons of Delray
Esther, my heart goes out to you and your family at this time. Sending you healing prayers and comforting hugs until seeing you Sunday. Love, Eydie
Dear Esther and family.
Linda and I send our sincere condolences. I had the privilege of playing golf with Fred some years ago. Fred was a pleasure to deal with. We are sure that you will have many memories
May Fred rest in peace. May he be of blessed memory.
Linda and Art Goldzweig
So sorry! I have been through this and it will be tough, but gradually you will remember so many good things and the love you shared. Stay strong – I promise it will get better.
Sorry to hear of your loss. May Fred’s memory be a blessing.
Sorry for your family’s loss, Fred was a GREAT GUY, he was my Doctor from way back to Chelmsford Medical Assoiates. Fred was also a customer I probably worked on your house 15 times over the years. Again sorry for your loss.
Ellen and I are very sorry to hear of Fred’s passing. I played golf with Fred often. His kindness, great sense of humor, and willingness to discuss any issue made him a great guy to spend the afternoon with. He will be missed. Our condolences to Esther and the entire family..
My deepest condolences to the Wikander family and friends. Dr. Wikander was a pleasure to work for, caring to others and loved his sense of humor. He always had a smile and kind word for everyone. He will be sorely missed and my prayers to all.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Esther and family. Fred was a warm and kind gentleman.
Esther , my deepest wishes of condolence go out to you and your wonderful family. It is such a difficult time for all of you and my wish is that memories of all the good things in your lives with Fred will offer you some comfort. He is at rest but his memory will always be there for all of you.
Jean Rubinstein
We are so sad to hear of Fred’s passing. Our love and thoughts are with Esther and his family during this time. May the memories be a blessing.
Dear Esther, Helene and I want to pass on our condolences on Fred’s passing. Fred was always a pleasure to be around, always kind and mild mannered. He will be missed by many in the Four Seasons community. Know that our thoughts are with you during this difficult time and may Fred’s memory be for a blessing to you, the family and all who knew him.
Warmest Regards,
Steve & Helene Weintraub
My husband and I got to know Fred and Esther in Florida. I enjoyed walking with him and Esther during the early Covid days. He had a wonderful quiet sense of humor. When Fred interpreted the medical words in my husband’s biopsy, I never thought I would be missing Fred two years later. Our hearts are broken. Too good a person to lose so soon.
With Love to Esther and family,
Neal and Phyllis
Dear Esther and family,
We are very sorry and shocked for your unfathomable and sudden loss. We share your pain, grief and sorrow.
We knew you and Fred as great neighbors and person from our very first meeting. Fred always took time to say hi and talk to us nicely each time he saw us. We will always remember him as a kind, soft-spoken and a humble person. It was always a pleasure to see you and him very happy together. When we met him at your home last week he had a great smile on has face and held my hand. He was very courageous, patient and calm even during his last days. We pray to the Almighty to provide the best afterlife to him. We pray the Almighty to provide strength and courage to you and the family. May you remember his great life, achievements and moments with him forever.
Warm regards,
Sumedha, Shrikant, Sachi and Shubhankar Joshi family
Our sincere condolences and thoughts to you Esther and your family. May his memory be a blessing.
Such sad news. He was my doctor for over 20 years. We shared funny stories and he took good care of me. I will miss him.
Carol Ann Bejtlich
Dear Esther,
Bob and I are so sorry to hear of Fred’s passing. our hearts go out to you and your family. I hope some of the wonderful memories will give you some comfort in time. For now, we send you hugs.
Judi and Bob
I am so sad to hear about his passing, I was totally shocked, I had him since I was a child 💔 😢 until his retirement he saved my life I can never forget that hospital missed it, then right off the back he exactly new what it was . He was Very caring, very smart Dr. That really cared about his patients, he liked to joke, laugh, RIP Condolences to his family
Dear Esther,
We are so saddened and so shocked of the passing of your beloved Fred. We extend our sincere condolences to you and your entire family. Our thoughts and hearts are with you. Hold on to the lifetime of memories as in time they will bring you comfort and peace. May Fred RIP and may he share that wonderful sense of humor to all the angels…..
Fred…we were so glad that we got to know you better in recent years. You were truly a sweet, kind, caring man! We miss you already! XXOO. Dennis and Carol
Sandy and I would like to offer our deepest sympathy to Esther and the whole Wikander family. During the rigorous times of medical school, Fred and I forged a lasting friendship that was rekindled at our recent 50th medical school reunion, It was as if no time had passed in those 50 years and Fred was still the warm, modest and jovial person he had always been. We will carry these fond memories with us for the rest of our lives.
Love, Joe and Sandy
Ken and I send our deepest condolences to the Wikander family at this difficult time.
Dr. Wikander was my PCP for most of my adult years, until his retirement. He was the type of physician we all think of and miss today when we look back fondly on a more golden age of healthcare. I was later able to reconnect with Dr. Wikander in a different context at Table of Plenty of Chelmsford when he was a volunteer and I played music on several occasions. He had a wonderful wit and sense of humor. I am very sorry to hear of his passing, and I send my deepest condolences to his family.