[h=1]Athens Native and Wonder Fred Birchmore Dies at 100[/h]On Sunday morning, Athens Centenarian, Kiwanian and world traveler Fred Birchmore died.
An Athens native, he was a fixture at the Athens YMCA after he retired from real estate in 1973, working out almost every day almost until his death. A native of Athens, Mr. Birchmore had both an undergraduate, a master’s and a law degree from UGA.
He leaves behind his wife of 72 years, Willa Deane, and their four children, Fred, Jr., Belinda, Becky and Danny.
“He was in great physical condition his whole life, and was really addicted to exercise and working out,” said fellow Kiwanian Larry Dendy. "He once said the reason he did all of these things was that he had to burn off his energy."
There are many tales of his physical prowess. When he was in his 20s, Mr. Birchmore rode a bicycle—named Bucephalus, for Alexander the Great’s horse—around the world and wrote a memoir about his adventures. A gymnast in his youth, as an adult he walked on his hands up the stairs in the Southern Mutual Building, where he had his office; up the stairs near Sanford Stadium; and up the steps of the Washington Monument. He traveled the world, including taking a trip to Machu Picchu when he was well past retirement.