Frederick “Fritz” Engstrom, age 74, of Brattleboro, Vermont, passed away peacefully on January 17, 2023 at his home with family following his diagnosis in 2020 of brain cancer. Fritz was born on June 21, 1948 to Dr. William and Elizabeth Engstrom in New Haven, Connecticut. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to Elm Grove, Wisconsin where he would remain for the rest of his youth. Young Fritz enjoyed his days at Red Arrow Camp and he began the lifelong pursuit of perfecting his tennis game.
After high school, Fritz earned his Bachelor of Arts at Harvard College, studying Government after campaigning for McCarthy; he proceeded to medical school at the University of Rochester followed by a residency at the University of Colorado in Denver. In 1977, Fritz moved with his family to Edina, Minnesota and initiated his career as a Psychiatrist at Park Nicollet Medical Center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. While at Park Nicollet, Fritz served as the Chairman of the Mental Health department and as a member of the Board of Trustees. In 1998, Fritz and his family moved to Brattleboro, Vermont to join the leadership team at the Brattleboro Retreat. He remained at the Brattleboro Retreat until 2018 and subsequently joined Baystate Health in Springfield and Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Fritz loved his career as a psychiatrist and his strong connections to patients, coworkers and interns. He loved to teach mental health seminars and lead group therapy. Fritz’s hallmark method of teaching was to use movie clips that illustrated life circumstances and mental health conditions to spark discussion and learning. He used humor to teach, reach out and find common ground.
In addition to his passion for his career, Fritz loved playing tennis, bridge and later pickleball. His warmth, sense of humor and lightness of spirit were felt by all in his midst. He relished time spent with his children, family and friends; he lit up the room with his jokes and storytelling.
Fritz is survived by his children Carl Engstrom, Anna Engstrom, Alexandra Keep and Thaddeus Engstrom-Keep; his grandson Anders Engstrom; his first wife Ellen Engstrom and second wife Stephanie Keep; and his sisters Ann Reydel and Sara Foss.
The family is not planning a memorial service but will gather to celebrate his life in the early summer.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts to support the “Dr. William W. Engstrom Memorial Scholarship” (established in honor of Fritz’s father William) can be made to the Medical College of Wisconsin, Attn: Office of Institutional Advancement, P.O. Box 26509, Milwaukee, WI 53226-0509 or at https://mcwsupport.mcw.edu/makeagift. Please select “Other” and enter the name of this scholarship fund.