Frederick C. Haab, 79, business executive and civic leader
In a career spanning a half-century, he was chairman, president and CEO of F.C. Haab Co. Inc., a Philadelphia fuel oil and lubricants distribution firm founded by his father. He was a very well-known and well-respected member of the Philadelphia community,” a family member said.
Frederick C. Haab, 79, of Villanova and St. Michaels, Md., a former petroleum company executive and dedicated civic leader, died Sunday, April 2, of complications from lung disease at his home.
In a career spanning 50 years, Mr. Haab was chairman, president and CEO of the F.C. Haab Co. Inc., a fuel oil and lubricants distributor in Philadelphia. The firm had been founded in 1946 by his father, Fred C. Haab. Mr. Haab joined the enterprise in 1961, and at the time of his retirement in 2011, he held the title of chairman of the board. He was assisted at the company by his own two sons.
Born in Philadelphia, he graduated in 1955 from Episcopal Academy and in 1959 from Cornell University with a bachelor's degree in economics. While in college, he pledged Sigma Phi fraternity. He served in the Army from 1959 to 1961 and was honorably discharged with the rank of first lieutenant.
Mr. Haab felt a duty to volunteer his time and expertise to various associations and institutions. "He was a leader who took an active role in every organization with which he was associated," said his son, Chris. "He was a very well-known and well-respected member of the Philadelphia community."
He was chairman of the board of trustees of Episcopal Academy from 1992 to 1999, and a board member starting in 1975. He also was president of the school's Alumni Society. In 1999, Mr. Haab was presented with the school's Distinguished Service award.
Starting in 1961, he was a member of the Union League of Philadelphia and was president from 2007 to 2008.
He was president of the PENJERDEL Council from 1986 to 1988. The council was formed by W. Thacher Longstreth a half-century ago to keep businesses informed about issues affecting them in Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and northern Delaware.
Mr. Haab was a president of the Pennsylvania Petroleum Association, and served on the boards of Continental Bank and Midlantic Corp., and the advisory board of PNC Bank. He was a trustee of the Lankenau Medical Center Foundation.
He was a member of the Main Line Health board of governors, lending his expertise when Thomas Jefferson University merged with the Main Line Health System to form Jefferson Health. On June 2, 2011, he was honored by the board in a resolution, which praised him for "his strategic vision and highly sought-after business acumen...during a time of dramatic changes in health care."
Mr. Haab was a member of the Philadelphia Country Club for 50 years, and a member of the Ausable Club in the Adirondacks; St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, Gladwyne; and the Miles River Yacht Club, St. Michaels.
A natural athlete, Mr. Haab played football on Cornell's 150-pound team and went on to play squash and tennis.
He enjoyed spending time with family on a farm in St. Michaels where he tended his horses, chickens, bulls, and goats. "Like most boat owners, he always had his eye on his next one," his son said. He fished, hunted for deer and traveled.
He was married to Gabrielle Schwarz Haab, a designer of fiber art, from 1959 until her death in 2012. They had met on a trolley on the way to school, became sweethearts, and eventually had three children.
In 2015, he was married a second time, to Judith S. Romig Haab. She died in December 2016.
Besides his son, he is survived by children Meredith deHart Haab and Kurt A.; seven grandchildren; a sister; and nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at noon Thursday, April 20, at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 226 Righters Mill Rd., Gladwyne. Burial will be private.
Memorial contributions may be made to Episcopal Academy, designated for the Rev. Jim and Vicki Squire Scholarship Fund, c/o Jen Fifer, 1785 Bishop White Dr., Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.