Frederick "Fred" M. Okrent Obituary (1942

PITTSFIELD - Frederick M. Okrent, 78, of Pittsfield, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, April 8, 2021. Born on May 21, 1942 in Brooklyn, NY, he was the son of the late Gabriel and Minnie (Hecht) Okrent. Fred was educated in the local schools and went on to earn his Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering. He proudly served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam Conflict and stationed in Korea and later served in the National Guard. In 1962 he began working for IBM as a Senior Engineer Specialist until his retirement in 1992. Fire Service was in his blood, serving on IBM Emergency Control Team as well as a life member of the WH Mayes Hook and Ladder in Beacon, NY. He also served as a Captain for Pittsfield Fire Department for many years, and is a life member of the Pittsfield Firefighters Association as well as a Nationally Certified EMT. Longtime member of the American Legion Post 75. He was a CASA Volunteer as well as a Docent for the Aviation Museum in Manchester. Fred was currently assisting a class at Manchester Technical Institute with the building of a plane. He was also a hobby woodworker. He held a passion for cooking and his creations will be greatly missed. Fred is survived by his wife, Laura (Bonneau) Okrent of Pittsfield with whom he shared 19 years of marriage; his children, Deborah Dirubbio and her husband Dean of Beacon, NY, Stacey Sorbello and her husband Albert of Newburgh, NY and Christopher Okrent and his wife Paula of Kerhonkson, NY; step-children, Patricia Girard and her husband Brian of Medway, MA and Timothy Ahearn and his wife Kristen of Pittsfield; brother, Arthur Okrent, sister, Randy Kraft; and his grandchildren, Sadie, Danielle, Reagan, Ainsley, Michael, Carter, Marc, Taylor, Aaron, Lucas and Hannah. A walk-through visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 13th from 5 to 7 P.M. in the Still Oaks Funeral & Memorial Home, 1217 Suncook Valley Highway, Epsom. In accordance with state and local guidelines, all attendees must wear face-coverings and adhere to social distancing as directed. A graveside service with Military Honors and Firefighter Bell Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 14th at 12 Noon at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, Boscawen. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, NH 03053. To share a memory or offer a condolence please visit www.stilloaks.com.