Obituary of Fred Henry Stark

STARK, Jr. Fred Henry, 43, of Land O’ Lakes, Fl., passed away Tuesday, September 27, 2011. He was born in Ellenville, NY and moved to Tampa from Jacksonville, Fla. in 1997. A soldier at heart, he began his military career at the age of 18 by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. He received an ROTC scholarship to the University of Florida, where he met his wife Ana Maria. With 10 years of service as a Marine, Fred was deployed worldwide including time spent in Mogadishu Somalia, Okinawa Japan, and South Korea. Having that inseparable bond from the military, Fred re-enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in 2009. Presented with an opportunity to return and contribute, in October 2010, Fred took a civilian job traveling to Afghanistan for a six-month tour where he trained soldiers on the latest technology to find Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s). His civilian core competency was in Education and Training. In his career he spent time training rescue 911 operators as well as Military Police. In the truest sense of the word, Fred was a true “teacher” to all. A technology enthusiast and IT professional, his most recent contribution was as an employee of VMware Inc., based in Palo Alto, CA. Fred was a loving father and husband. He had a unique sense of humor and was a devoted friend. He loved animals and shared that passion with his daughter, Kristina. Fred enjoyed watching his son, Alex, play football for the Academy at the Lakes. Basketball season was Fred’s favorite time because he could watch both of his children play and cheer them on. Fred was a good storyteller who always had a smile on his face and never quit no matter the circumstance. He loved football and his favorite teams were the Florida Gators and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He enjoyed cooking and his enthusiasm showed through in many of his delicious meals. Fred was truly a one of a kind person that did so much for others and never asked for anything in return. He had a passion for life and a golden heart. He will be deeply missed. Fred is survived by his wife of 21 years, Ana Maria; two children, Alex and Kristina; mother-in-law, Maria DeTcherassi; parents, Donna Lee and Fred Henry; sister, Christie Graham and her husband, Dustin; brother, Donald Stark and his wife, Jennifer Parker-Stark; sister-in-law, Vicky Tcherassi and her husband, Julian Serrano; His nieces and nephew: Amber, Beth and Dustin Graham; Zeno and Mary Claire Parker- Stark; Daniella, Julian Andres, and Juan Manuel Serrano and many loving friends. A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 5 at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church. Committal services will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. The family will receive friends from 6 – 8 p.m. on Tuesday Evening October, 4th at Loyless Funeral Home. Donations may be made in his memory to the Academy at the Lakes - Annual Fund, 2331 Collier Parkway, Land O' Lakes, FL 34639