Fred was known for his unwavering commitment to providing excellent service to everyone—so much so that the Macs were named after the people who used them (which caused some confusion whenever machines were swapped).

After retiring from the Department, Fred dedicated some of his time to helping public school pupils and high school students with their homework, as described in Århus Stiftstidende:
https://stiften.dk/aarhus/de-nye-gamle-friheden-bliver-fyldt-med-mening (in Danish).

True to his nature, Fred’s support went well beyond academic help; he also served as a mentor and friend to the students when needed. A fan of recreational mathematics, he even repainted some cubes from a toy shop to create a set of McMahon’s Cubes, which he used to engage and inspire his new “pupils.”

Fred was the department’s Santa Claus for many years, and stayed in touch with old friends as a member of the DHL baton team for retirees, until dementia eventually made it impossible. It was also dementia that ultimately ended his life.

We wish to express our heartfelt thanks for his many contributions, and our warmest thoughts are with his family.

Kaj Grønbæk, Head of Department, Department of Computer Science
Kai Birger Nielsen, AU IT