Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Ontario for funeral details
Nov 13, 1929 – Mar 03, 2024
Robert Sirotek
Frederick’s family regrets to announce the passing of Frederick Bedrich Sirotek
peacefully on March 3, 2024.
Fred was born in Prague, Czech Republic on the 13th of November 1929. As he was
about to graduate from the Technical High School, his country was taken over by the
communist party. After the harrowing Nazi experience and the intruding communist
party, he and his entire family escaped into Germany. Shortly after, he immigrated to
Canada in 1949 to start a new life and a construction business with his family.
Following in the footsteps of his father — who was a prominent builder in Prague, and
builder of the Czech Pavilions at the World’s Fair Expositions in Paris, Brussels, and
Chicago before the Second World War — Fred built almost too many buildings to count:
dozens upon dozens in Ottawa, more in other parts of Canada from New Brunswick to
London, Ont., to New York State, and on every major English speaking island in the
Caribbean between Antigua and Trinidad by the time he retired.
At the age of 27, he was asked to be one of the founding members of the new Rotary
Club of West Ottawa representing Commercial Construction. He went on to be a
Director of the Ottawa Construction Association as well as the Canadian Construction
Association.
For those in the micro software industry, Fred will be best remembered as an early
investor and first President (1981 – 1989) of Sir-tech Software, Inc. of New York, which
developed and published countless video game titles around the world.
He was instrumental in loosely establishing the building blocks for the formation of the
Software Publishers Association in Washington, D.C.
Fred co-founded Frantek Software Distributors Inc. in 1982 that became Canada’s
largest computer software wholesaler, which was sold in the 1990s to Ingram Micro.
In his later years he authored the book “One Percent Luck” which chronicled his youth
in the Czech Republic, the Second World War, his move to Canada, and his business
activities.
Fred is predeceased by his wife Nadia (Bostanjian) Sirotek (1994), loving sister Milu
Cada (2015), and long-time companion Gertrude Tracy (2020). Father of Robert
(Denise), and Norman (Valerie), and Linda (Ian), and daughter in-law Amy (Jamie).
Loving Grandfather of Amanda, Megan, Charles and Devon.
Fred will be missed by his family, extended family, Marcel (Denise), Ellen (David) and
Nancy (Carl), and friends. Special thanks are extended to the doctor, nurses,
management and staff at the Maplewood Retirement Community and to the doctors and
nurses for their care at the Ottawa General Hospital.
A gathering for friends to celebrate Fred’s life will be announced later, to be held during
this summer. A private service for family will be at the Pinecrest Cemetery to intern
Fred with his late wife Nadia.
Donations to either the Rotary Club of West Ottawa Charitable Foundation
(www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/rotary-club-of-west-ottawa-charitablefoundation/?
version=2&version=2) or to the nondenominational Catholic Centre for
Immigrants Foundation (cciottawa.ca), two causes dear to Fred, would be
appreciated.
2024
Death notice for the town of: Ottawa, Province: Ontario
death notice Robert Sirotek
obituaries notice Robert Sirotek
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Robert Sirotek and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
