Getty A photograph of Fred Trump.
Donald Trump’s father Fredrick, or Fred, will be discussed throughout A&E’s documentary series The Trump Dynasty. Fred, a successful real estate developer, left his son with an estimated $300 million at the time of his death. Learn more about Fred Trump and his death below.
Fred Trump died on June 25, 1999. He has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease since 1993, but retained his title of chairman of the board of Trump Management even after the diagnosis. He was also hospitalized with pneumonia in the weeks leading up to his passing, and his cause of death was attributed to both illnesses. He was 93. “He came in the office every day until the day he went to the hospital,” said family friend and business associate Richard Levy.
Fred Trump Died Due to Complications from Alzheimer’s & Pneumonia
Fred Trump was born on October 11, 1905 in New York City. He studied to become a carpenter from an early age, and took classes in reading blueprints. He completed his first house two years after he graduated from Richmond Hills High School, and he formed the company Elizabeth Trump & Son with his mother. He took it over once he turned 21. Elizabeth Trump & Son eventually became known as the Trump Organization.
In 1936, Trump married Scottish immigrant Mary Anne MacLeod. They stayed married until his death, and they had five children together, including Donald. During World War II, Fred built barracks and garden apartments for U.S. Navy personnel near major shipyards. After the war ended, he transitioned to building middle-income housing for the families of returning veterans. According to the New York Times, Trump built the profitable apartment complex Trump Village, in 1963-64.
Trump Was a Successful Real Estate Developer Who Helped His Son Donald Start His Own Business
”He made a great contribution; he filled a very big hole in the market,” said Sam LeFrak, a peer and competitor. ”We took Queens; he did more in Brooklyn. He was a great builder who rallied to the cause like we did; he built housing for the returning veterans. I guess you could say we’re the last of the old dinosaurs.” Donald joined the family business in 1968, and Trump lent his support, as well as a small amount of money, when the former wanted to start his own developer business in the ’70s.
“What he lent was mostly knowledge,” said brother Robert. “Donald really did it on his own, along with whatever boost he got from being Fred Trump’s son, of course.” Donald later said that his father’s focus on Brooklyn and Queens allowed him to take seize control of Manhattan. “It was good for me,” he said. “You know, being the son of somebody, it could have been competition to me. This way, I got Manhattan all to myself!” Fred Trump was interred at Lutheran All Faiths Cemetery in Queens, New York. His wife Mary Anne died on August 7, 2000.