NBA Fred Vanvleet Parents Susan VanVleet and Fred Manning

Fred Vanvleet Parents Susan VanVleet And Fred Manning

Fred VanVleet's biological father, Fred Manning, had a criminal background where police shot him down in connection to drug deals in 1999.

Fred became fatherless for a period of the next four years or so. He was five years old when his father breathed his last in the police operation. In 2003, his mother, Susan VanVleet, remarried.

Fred VanVleet and his mother Susan captured in this pic. ( Source : bleacherreport )

When Fred was shot down in his hometown Rockford Illinois, Susan was left alone and helpless. Fred Manning left behind two sons - Darnell and Fred. Susan was overwhelmed as she was alone in her parental role. As a single mother, she did multiple jobs to survive and support her children. The family had a house in Rockford.

In CTV's W5 Show, she recollected that raising two biracial African American kids - Darnell and Fred- was hard for a Caucasian single mother in such a racist community. In addition, Rockford was a rough neighborhood.

But things changed in her favor when she met a police officer named Joe Danforth. She started to date him. Within a year of dating, she married the officer. Joe Danforth was her new husband.

Who Is Fred VanVleet's Stepfather Joe Danforth?

Joe Danforth is a police officer from Rockford, Illinois. Joe had spent six years in the army before becoming a police officer. He is the stepfather of Fred VanVleet. He married Susan VanVleet in 2003 after dating her for about a year.

Fred is captured with his Stepdad Joe Danforth and Mother Susan VanVleet ( Source : bleacherreport )

Joe and Susan procreated a third child in their family - J.D. Danforth. He plays guard on the Auburn High School Basketball team. Fred VanVleet, the eldest stepson, struggled while growing up in Joe Danforth's house. Though Joe was Fred's stepfather, he never fell behind in showing compassion, love, care, and concern for Fred. He protected his stepson from following the dark path of drugs on which Fred's father ended his life. Surely, Joe was a disciplinarian. Fred had even compared his new home to a boot camp on CTV's W5 Show.

Joe has attributed teaching in the army as where he got to know about raising and disciplining his kids. His strict teaching and disciplining had worked wonders as it kept Fred from the streets. As a result, drugs and alcohol addiction never caught him. Today, Fred VanVleet is an ideal to follow, both on and off the field.