"I was deeply shocked to hear of Fred’s death. He was one of the great personalities and enthusiasts of the orchestra from the earliest days. He was a long time settling down in South Africa and he encountered a lot of problems with immigration. But once these were over, he became one of Durban’s colourful personalities. I always looked forward to seeing him when I came to Durban. He was invariably the first person to come and greet me. I shall miss him dreadfully."

Bongani apologises for not being able to be here because normally nothing would have kept him from paying his last respects to Fred but he had to go to Johannesburg on crucial orchestra business and this could not be postponed. "We are very much saddened by Fred’s passing. He was an asset to the orchestra and had such a bubbly personality. When Fred retired from the orchestra he took his three months‘ retirement package but said that if the orchestra needed him, he would work for the next three months free of charge. The orchestra did need him and he eventually went on to play for us as an adhoc artiste. He was perpetually full of ideas and suggestions. And he wasn’t a guy you could pass by. He was one of the people who always made me late for meetings. On my way out or in the street, he would stop me with: "Bongani, Bongani – just a word ..." But it didn’t make me cross because his suggestions always came from the heart."

"The abrupt and terrible news received last Wednesday night brought about deep feelings of sadness and anger. Fred was our beloved, faithful colleague and friend for the seventeen years of existence of the KZNPO. Sadness is a very light word to express the distress in losing such a warm, dedicated and positive person. Fred always had kind words for others, was always supportive to anyone in difficulty and always put his own preoccupations last. Anger comes with the fate of life abruptly taken away from someone who at last was fully enjoying his own existence, robbed from that true sense of happiness by mindless thugs on a rampage. Fred, we will miss you dearly.

"I’d like to place on record my thanks and appreciation as well as that of the orchestra’s board and executive for Fred’s contribution towards the KZNPO. In all our efforts to transform the orchestra to ensure that it reaches a wider audience he was always very supportive - one of the pro-active members who understood and supported the process of change in order to preserve the orchestra’s future. As we accelerate the rate of the orchestra’s transformation, his spirit will remain with us and, in remembering him, we will honour all that we know he stood for."

First: a Durban newspaper, "Bang! Bang! The Natal Philharmonic Orchestra brings madness and mayhem to this evening's NBS Sunset Proms Concert. Preview to the concert is the noisy 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky, complete with over half-a-dozen 25-pounder cannon shots by the Natal Field Artillery. Beethoven's famous Symphony No. 5 and a host of other special items, Featured in this thunderous programme is Fred Wachs, left, Siphiwe Gumede, back, while Nicolas Martin and Edward Lockwood are in front. picture by Richard Shorey
Second: a Durban newspaper, 1998, "Just Dandy! American members of the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra are preparing to celebrate Independence Day (July 4) this weekend with a special American-style NBS Sunset Proms Concert at Kingmead Cricket Stadium this Sunday at 5:30pm. Included in the programme will be a Gershwin medley, The Star Spangled Banner (of course) and themes from various films, including Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, The Magnificent Seven, West Side Story, Carousel and Kiss Me Kate. The concert will feature vocalists Raphael Vilakazi and Thokozani Mkhize. In the picture are American KZNPO members (from left) Erika Corneilisen, Seth Quistad and Fred Wachs.
Third: (Natal) Daily News, Friday August 18 1995, "Yes, Yes, Yes! The Natal Philharmonic Orchestra is staging another NBS Sunset Prom this Sunday at the Village Green at 5:30pm. Lykele Temmingh (right) will be on the podium and the programme includes Brahams' Academic Festival Overture, Dvorak's Slavonic Dance No. 7, Schubert's March Militaire, Sullivan's Pineapple Poll, Britten's Teddy Bear's Picnic and the Elizabethan Serenade. With the conductor is NPO violinist Fred Wachs and, of course, the famous beaked representative of the NBS. Picture by Peter Duffy.
Fourth: Weigh-Less magazine, May/June Volume 20, "Men and their World: We travelled the world in search of the 'perfect' man and found such a diverse crowd of men that we couldn't help but marvel at the male physique. We wanted to know who prepared their meals and what they looked for in a woman. Here they are - the men we found and their world. THE UNITED STATES: NameL Fred Wachs. Marital Status: Married. Height: 1.8m. Weight: 104.5 kgs. "The Perfect man should have no double chin, carry no extra flab and be healthy", according to Fred, who is unhappy with the image his country has been saddled with of a nation of overweight, potbellied, beer guzzling men who watch television all day. He help his wife with the preparation of all their meals and lists roast leg of lamb with vegetables as his favorite dish. He has strong views when it comes to relationships as he feels a partnership is made up of two people who share the same interests. But Fred is adamant that there should be a certain element of space included in their daily routine to give an individual a chance to explore their own interests. He follows the philosophy that a woman should be a friend first and then a wife. Diet coke, vegetables and T-bone steaks are high on his shopping list and he tries to follow a healthy diet after nearly suffering from a heart attack. Since arriving in South Africa he finds he has slightly more time to prepare his own meals but wishes he could enjoy more evenings walks. He is worried about the high crime rate and fears walking alone at night". (Gary's note... I asked my dad about this article, and he said the part about the roast leg of lamb was a direct quote, but to take everything else with a grain of salt)