Freddy (Fred) Marzec was born on September 11, 1947, in Boras, Sweden, to Stephanus Marzec and Karen Maria Hogseth. As a young boy, he immigrated first to Canada (living in both Labrador and Prince Edward Island), then later moved to the United States. He called a variety of states home, including Wisconsin and Texas, before finally settling in San Diego, California.

While taking classes in Physics and Mathematics at San Diego Junior College, Fred further cultivated his lifelong interest in bicycling. In fact, he was an avid cyclist and even competed in regional and national competitions. In addition to cycling (both bicycles and motorcycles), he was a photography enthusiast and dabbled in the stock market.

In his late twenties and into his thirties, he worked as a long-haul trucker, which eventually transitioned to more local trucking work as a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) certified chemical transporter.

On May 19, 1985, he married the love of his life, Catherine (Cathy) Lorraine Ericson, and on June 2, 1987, Cathy gave birth to a daughter, Kristin Paige Marzec. The family moved from San Diego to Topeka, Kansas, in 1992, and Fred continued work in various propane, oil, and medical transport positions. He also worked in sporting goods for a brief time, supporting the needs of new and seasoned cyclists.

He was truly a jack of all trades and excelled at every hobby and interest he had over the years. One particular skillset of note was Fred’s woodworking. His perfectionism and meticulous work ethic resulted in numerous creations – including a large estate sign at his brother-in-law’s former home (which, to this day, is still proudly on display outside of the property entrance), several beautifully constructed bread boxes, lazy Susans of many sizes, custom cabinetry & shelving, an elegant shoe rack, and so much more. Another nearly life-long interest for him was related to computers. He was an early participant in the technology industry, building computers and staying up to date on the latest software & hardware trends. He was entirely self-taught, obsessively learning everything he could about PCs. Every computer his daughter ever had in childhood and through college was created by Fred specially for her, and the family home was never lacking for computer parts, monitors, and cables. So many cables.

Fred was such an interesting man (to say the least) and often came off as reserved and mysterious – especially to those who were new to his orbit. Underneath that layer, though, was one of the most generous and caring individuals in the world. He may not have emoted as openly as others, but he certainly loved deeply and helped so many people within his lifetime. Life was not always easy for him, but he persevered through difficult times and always worked hard to overcome obstacles.

On July 11, 2025, Fred passed away quietly at home after a battle with certain chronic health conditions. Similar to his wife’s passing in 2020, though, he was surrounded by close friends, family, and loving caretakers in his final days. It is the family’s hope that Cathy & Fred are now reunited and continuing their beautiful love affair far beyond earth.

He is survived by his daughter, Kristin Marzec; son-in-law, Matthew (Matt) DeBlasis; brother, Cal Marzec; nieces, nephews, cousins, and other extended family; and countless lifelong friends who cherished him deeply. He was the greatest father, husband, and loyal friend a person could ask for, and he will be missed every day. His family would like to extend an incredibly strong, heartfelt “thank you” to all of those who loved him and made his life meaningful and bright, as well as the special caretaker angels (specifically Lauren & Ernie from Acti-Kare) who comforted him in his final days within at-home hospice care. 

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