Fred Sennet

MJ:
Former Middletown mayor dies at 81

By Rick McCrabb
Staff Writer
MIDDDLETOWN —
Fred Sennet, a former Middletown school board member, city commission member, reporter at The Middletown Journal and owner of the Fairfield Times, passed away Tuesday night. He was 81.

Sennet served one term on city commission and was commission chairman and mayor for a short time, said his wife, Dana. They recently had moved to Trenton.

“He loved Middletown,” she said. “Man, did he love Middletown.”

He also loved politics, his wife said.

“That was the reporter in him,” she said. “He always wanted to know what was going on.”

Les Landen, the city’s law director, praised Sennet for his contributions to the Middletown community. He said Sennet was a giving person and cared about the city and its residents.

“It’s always hard when you lose someone who served the public,” Landen said. “He will be truly missed by the city and the community.”

He leaves behind three children and numerous grandchildren.

The Sennets adopted three dogs from Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the dogs became an extension of the family.

“No matter where we went,” Dana Sennet said, “after a few hours, he’d say, ‘Let’s go home to the dogs.’”

The family is asking memorial donations be made to PAWS.

A Miami University graduate, Fred Sennet was a season-ticket holder for Miami football games for about 40 years, his wife said.

Randy Oppenheimer, executive director of Media and Community Relations for the Lakota Local School District, never worked with Sennet, but they were close friends who periodically ate lunch together.

Oppenheimer called Sennet “a wonderful mentor who taught me a lot about how to listen to people and know that everyone has a story to tell.”

Sennet also had “a big influence” on John Kiesewetter, a 1971 Fenwick High School graduate who later worked at The Middletown Journal and recently retired as a TV critic for the Cincinnati Enquirer. While in high school, Kiesewetter worked on The Page, a journalism program for juniors and seniors. Sennet was the adviser of the program that provided students an opportunity to write every Sunday in The Journal.

Kiesewetter said he also took a speech class at Fenwick that was taught by Sennet, and he used those skills frequently when he made public appearances.

“He was a patient, helpful and understanding man,” Kiesewetter said.

Arrangements are still being finalized at Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding Funeral Home.

Fred was an extremely nice man. Had a gentle personality about him. Went to some of his public forums he held when he was in office. Always entertained all comments whether he agreed with them or not. A member of the old guard in town.

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