Frederick\u2019s family regrets to announce the passing of Frederick Bedrich Sirotek
\npeacefully on March 3, 2024.<\/p>\n
Fred was born in Prague, Czech Republic on the 13th of November 1929. As he was
\nabout to graduate from the Technical High School, his country was taken over by the
\ncommunist party. After the harrowing Nazi experience and the intruding communist
\nparty, he and his entire family escaped into Germany. Shortly after, he immigrated to
\nCanada in 1949 to start a new life and a construction business with his family.<\/p>\n
Following in the footsteps of his father — who was a prominent builder in Prague, and
\nbuilder of the Czech Pavilions at the World\u2019s Fair Expositions in Paris, Brussels, and
\nChicago before the Second World War — Fred built almost too many buildings to count:
\ndozens upon dozens in Ottawa, more in other parts of Canada from New Brunswick to
\nLondon, Ont., to New York State, and on every major English speaking island in the
\nCaribbean between Antigua and Trinidad by the time he retired.<\/p>\n
At the age of 27, he was asked to be one of the founding members of the new Rotary
\nClub of West Ottawa representing Commercial Construction. He went on to be a
\nDirector of the Ottawa Construction Association as well as the Canadian Construction
\nAssociation.<\/p>\n
For those in the micro software industry, Fred will be best remembered as an early
\ninvestor and first President (1981 – 1989) of Sir-tech Software, Inc. of New York, which
\ndeveloped and published countless video game titles around the world.
\nHe was instrumental in loosely establishing the building blocks for the formation of the
\nSoftware Publishers Association in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
Fred co-founded Frantek Software Distributors Inc. in 1982 that became Canada\u2019s
\nlargest computer software wholesaler, which was sold in the 1990s to Ingram Micro.
\nIn his later years he authored the book \u201cOne Percent Luck\u201d which chronicled his youth
\nin the Czech Republic, the Second World War, his move to Canada, and his business
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
Fred is predeceased by his wife Nadia (Bostanjian) Sirotek (1994), loving sister Milu
\nCada (2015), and long-time companion Gertrude Tracy (2020). Father of Robert
\n(Denise), and Norman (Valerie), and Linda (Ian), and daughter in-law Amy (Jamie).
\nLoving Grandfather of Amanda, Megan, Charles and Devon.
\nFred will be missed by his family, extended family, Marcel (Denise), Ellen (David) and
\nNancy (Carl), and friends. Special thanks are extended to the doctor, nurses,
\nmanagement and staff at the Maplewood Retirement Community and to the doctors and
\nnurses for their care at the Ottawa General Hospital.<\/p>\n
A gathering for friends to celebrate Fred\u2019s life will be announced later, to be held during
\nthis summer. A private service for family will be at the Pinecrest Cemetery to intern
\nFred with his late wife Nadia.<\/p>\n
Donations to either the Rotary Club of West Ottawa Charitable Foundation
\n(https:\/\/www.canadahelps.org\/en\/charities\/rotary-club-of-west-ottawa-charitablefoundation\/?
\nversion=2&version=2) or to the nondenominational Catholic Centre for
\nImmigrants Foundation (https:\/\/cciottawa.ca), two causes dear to Fred, would be
\nappreciated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Frederick\u2019s family regrets to announce the passing of Frederick Bedrich […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-15621","orbituaries","type-orbituaries","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n