"Patricia #Espenak announced in an email that Fred passed away yesterday afternoon," Michael Zeiler just wrote on the Solar Eclipse Mailing List: "Fred was in hospice at their home in Portal, Arizona. Pat was holding his hand when he passed away and is devastated.

Fred had an extremely consequential life and was a giant in the solar eclipse community. Let‘s remember his enthusiasm for nature‘s greatest spectacle, his warm friendship to many of us, his generosity in sharing his knowledge, and his impact on all of us."

Obituaries: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/fred-espenak-1953-2025/ and https://www.astronomy.com/observing/fred-espenak-dies-at-71/