Fred Kagel
Fred Emmanuel Kagel, 84, of Freehold, NJ, passed away on July 25, 2025, at CentraState Hospital.
Born in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1941 to Samuel and Goldie Kagel, Fred was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and graduated from PS DuPont High School. He went on to study statistics and psychology at the University of Delaware.
Fred was the founder and director of the Manalapan Tutoring Center, which grew into the Freehold Computer, Tutoring, and Training Center. For over 40 years, he helped students of all ages gain confidence in both academics and technology. In 1983, Fred appeared on PBS’s 3-2-1 Contact when his students used a computer program to predict a basketball game score.
With over four decades of experience in personal computing, Fred was a pioneer, educator, and mentor to many. He served as a trainer, consultant, lecturer, and author on a wide range of computer-related topics and was an adjunct instructor at several community colleges.
As a longtime member—and former President and Editor—of the Brookdale Computer Users Group, Fred led Excel workshops, gave numerous presentations, and was an active participant in online technical forums. He won programming contests hosted by Johns Hopkins University and Lotus Notes and developed countless databases and websites. He was certified as a QuickBooks Pro, Point of Sale (POS), and Enterprise Advisor, and worked as webmaster for PS DuPont High School.
Fred’s interests went well beyond computers. He was a digital photographer, video enthusiast, and MIDI musician, as well as a member of Yamaha’s Disklavier Piano Users Group. He served as Technical Advisor of JBK Music Publishing, in the creation of Keyboard Beginnings Music, an educational program for young children.
An early adopter of eCommerce, Fred was active on eBay, PayPal, and Amazon Advantage. He also had a deep interest in health matters and stem cell research and was a proud supporter of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation.
Fred will be remembered for his intellect, creativity, kindness, and tireless commitment to sharing knowledge. His legacy lives on through the many lives he touched, the students he taught, and the innovations he inspired.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Goldie Kagel. He is survived by his loving wife, Judy Kagel; his son David (wife Tiffany); his daughter Michelle Eskow (husband Peter); his brother Allen Kagel (partner Ellie); and his grandchildren Sophia, Dylan, Lucas, Charlotte, Isabella, and a grandson on the way.
A Funeral Service, led by Rabbi Eric Eisenkramer, was held on July 29, 2025, at Waitt Funeral Home / Beth Shalom Chapel, followed by burial at Mount Sinai Cemetery & Mausoleum.
Fred was deeply passionate about education, computers, health, and music. In his memory, please consider donating to a charity that reflects those values.