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South Florida’s mightiest slots champion has
fallen at the age of 62. Fred Havenick spent decades marching on
the front lines of the campaign to bring slot machines to South
Florida's pari-mutuels.
Lymphoma has been credited with the death of the great slot machine
defender. Havenick’s family claims he eventually gave in to the
disease after a valiant eight month battle. For almost 3 decades
Havenick stood as the chief executive officer over both Flagler and
Naples-Ft. Myers Dog Tracks. He was also the MetroBank Chairman
since 1998.
Havenick’s wife, Barbara Havenick, recalled her husband’s 20 year
commitment to bringing slots gaming to South Florida. He had
intended to sponsor another slots initiative in 2007 as a response
to the failed 2005 countywide referendum on slot machines in
Miami-Dade.
Mrs. Havenick has made it clear her family
intends to continue the work of the patriarch. “It was his dream to
get the slot machines in Dade County and we are going to get them
for him, but he won’t be the first person to pull one, as hard as
he’s worked,” says Barbara Havenick. “But we’re going to pull one
for him.”
Philanthropic efforts were another of Havenick
contributions. He was a member of the University of Miami Merrick
Society, the Orange Bowl committee, and founded the Mount Sinai
Hospital.
Izzy Havenick, Fred’s son, had kind words for
his father, “He was charismatic. He was loving. He was the total
man, so involved in his business but he was still the ultimate
family man.” He continued, “He gave us goals and inspiration to live
up to them because he was such an inspirational man and we hope we
can turn out like him.”
Havenick’s three son, daughter and wife
survive him.
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