Fred Kobrak

Portland - Oregon, Frederick Kobrak, 88 passed away peacefully on Monday, December, 12th, 2016, two and a half years after suffering a series of strokes in 2014.

Fred was born in Danzig Germany on September 28th, 1928 to Fritz Kobrak and Anneliese von Wietersheim.  He was the second child in a large family of four brothers and two sisters.  After fleeing Germany just before the second world war, his family resettled in Buenos Aires, Argentina where he met the one love of his life, Alyke Ooiman.  Following her to the United States, Fred was to be one of the last people to ever be processed through Ellis Island.  Fred and Lyke were married first in New York at the end of June 1954 then again in Holland on October 2nd, 1954.

A man well travelled, he lived and worked in many places around the world:  first in Washington DC at a bookstore which would shape his future passion for books; and then moving with his new wife to Mexico City, where his two sons, Michael and Paul were born.  In 1961 they relocated again, this time to Switzerland where a third child, Louise, was born.  Three years later the family moved once more, this time to the United Kingdom.

Fred was passionate about books and enjoyed collecting stamps and old coins.  But his main passion was first and foremost family.  They were everything to him, Fred loved his immediate and extended family more than anything, and would make a point of being at every special occasion that arose, travelling all over the world to be with them, whether expected or not.  He was so admired and loved by people he met all over the world.

Throughout his extensive travels, the one place that he would return to over and over again was Frankfurt and its annual Book Fair, which he attended for 56 consecutive years until his stroke in 2014.  An avid time keeper, he would always be one of the first to arrive and last to leave and colleagues and friends would constantly stop by to spend time with him.  Fluent in seven languages, communication was never a problem.

Working in the publishing industry for many years, mainly for Collier Macmillan, he eventually returned to the United States in the early 1980's to his beloved New York City where he settled for 35 years.  This afforded him the opportunity to go to the opera and the Mostly Mozart festival for many years.  Fred's passion for books and classical music never waived and after his strokes in 2014, he moved for the last time, to Portland Oregon to be close to his daughter Louise and in the care of the amazing Ilona Bogya and her family.

Fred Kobrak is survived by his ex-wife, Alyke (Ooiman Kobrak) Thorpe Godalming UK; sons, Michael Albert  Kobrak of London UK, Frederick Paul Kobrak St. Alban's UK; daughter, Louise Elisabeth (Kobrak) Demetre, Portland OR; sisters, Anna Kobrak of Mallorca Spain & Mary Kobrak of Buenos Aires, Argentina; a brother Clem Kobrak of  Rio de Janero, Brazil; and 6 grandchildren, Caitlin & Shaun Kobrak, Owen & Morgan Demetre, Alessia & Sebastiano Kobrak.

His funeral will be held on Tuesday December 20th, 2016 at 1pm at Stehn Family Chapels, 2906 SE Harrison Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222.  Friends and family are invited to attend.

He truly believed that "Life is an open book full of blank pages - you write your story as you go"  Pap, we have come to the end of your book, and it will be one we will come back to and re-read time and time again.  We will miss your infectious smile and sly wit, your fascination with the weather and all things books.  After all "Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything."  A man of high intelligence you will be forever in our hearts and minds and we will miss you every single day.  WE LOVE YOU.