Fred Sarback, born May 7, 1922 in Adelboden, Switzerland, died Dec. 4, 2006. He came to the states to open a ski lift and start a ski school in West Yellowstone Mont.

It was there that he met and married his wife and started his family. He began his career in the hotel business at the Stage Coach Inn in West Yellowstone. He worked for many years for Western International Hotels throughout the Pacific Northwest, Honolulu, and San Francisco and then for Hyatt Hotels in Northern California and Chicago up until his retirement in 1985.  Dad built a strong network of friends spanning the globe. He rarely went anywhere that he knew no one and if he didn’t it never took him long to strike up new friendships lasting a lifetime. Hospitality came easily to Dad and he was always a gracious host. He was a true “Swiss hotelier.”

With all of his business success, nothing was more important to our dad than family. He was truly devoted to Betty (Grimmett), his one and only wife. Their marriage, on Sept. 7, 1950, was the start of a family that thrives now in their absence. Fred and Betty, together, built a life and raised their five children to love each other, respect others and their beliefs, and love life itself.

Dad has been preceded in death by his mother, Rosa; father, Friedrich; brother, Hans; and his soul mate, Betty, our beloved mother.

He leaves behind his five children, David, Rose and her husband Gary Greenbaum, Katherine, Norma, and Nalani and her husband Keith Hadfield. He will also be missed by his three granddaughters, Yvonne, Jocelyn and Megan and a host of friends and acquaintances around the world.  We will all truly miss his presence and the twinkle in his eyes.

How do you sum up the great life of such a great man except raise two thumbs to the sky and say, “Great life, well done, Dad, well done!”

Celebration of life services will be held at Burley Funeral Chapel, Oak Harbor, on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 11 a.m. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.