Fred Hyatt Memorial Celebration

On Sunday, October 16th, 2022 (at 1:00 PM Pacific Time), an online memorial service in celebration of the life of Fred Hyatt, former host of opera programs on KPFK, took place for family, friends, and colleagues; and, at a later date, there will be a private interment ceremony limited to immediate family members.

Frederick "Fred" Morton Hyatt (June 1927 - September 23, 2022), a recognized expert in the field of opera and classical music, passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of ninety-five. Fred is most remembered for his 30+ years as a radio programmer and host of two long-running opera programs: Tenor of the Times and The Sunday Opera, which were broadcast on Southern California radio airwaves (90.7 FM, KPFK) from the early 1960s until 1997.

Fred was born in Chicago, Illinois to Hyman and Ida (Finerman) Hyatt. Fred’s love of music began by listening to his older sister, Evelyn, play the piano. When he was ten years old, his family took him to his first live opera performance (Aida), and soon thereafter his first live musical theater performance (New Moon); and those performances inspired his lifelong passion for opera and the performing arts. In 1938, Fred’s family moved to California where he attended Fairfax High School and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Fred interrupted his studies at UCLA to enlist in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Camp Beale (Marysville, CA). Even during military service Fred found a way to celebrate the arts: on his leaves from the army he hitchhiked back and forth to San Francisco to attend the opera and symphony. After an honorable discharge, Fred resumed his studies and graduated from UCLA (BA, General Business Administration, 1952).

In 1953, Fred met his future wife, Betty, when they were both attending an opera performance at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. They married the next year and remained married for 67 years until the time of Fred's passing. They raised two sons, William and Kenneth.

By day, Fred had a 40+ year career in finance, but he is best known for his opera programming and public speaking activities that inspired, entertained, and informed Southern California audiences for more than fifty years. Fred will be missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and appreciative radio audiences. Fred was predeceased by his son Kenny (Shirley) and is survived by his wife Betty, his son Bill (Jadranka), and his grandchildren Nathan and Harrison (by Kenny and Shirley).