Obituary of Frederick Cheney

A Florida native and long-time advocate of wildlife preservation, Frederick Kent Cheney, loving father, brother, uncle, and friend to all passed away on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. 

 

Fred was born on May 24, 1954 to General James S Cheney, and Yvonne Cheney. Born in the panhandle of Florida, he moved frequently with his family. He lived in Florida, England, North Carolina, where he started to study art, and also studied in Hawaii and Mexico. After school he moved back to Florida and became a full time graphic arts designer and started his art career. 

 

Fred Cheney was an incredible artist whose paintings and drawings reflect dramatic, realistic scenes of Florida’s vulnerable and endangered wildlife, both above and below the water.  Scuba diving and underwater photography, as well as surfing, sailing and fishing, inspired him to try to convey the wonder and beauty of the natural environment in his work..
 

He starts with a detailed pencil sketch or, sometimes a complete drawing using his photography as a reference, before applying layers of transparent color with the airbrush.  Some of his paintings take hundreds of hours to complete, but the thrill for his is to “…see how real and lifelike I can make them look…”

 

Fred was preceded in death by his father, General James Spears Cheney Sr., his mother, Yvonne Parsons Cheney, and nephew Shaun Cheney. He is survived by his daughter, Yvonne Dawson Cheney, his brother, James Cheney II, his nephew, James Cheney Jr., and his best friend and companion, Jackie Wilson. 

 

 

 

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