FREDERICK ADLER

1925 - 2022

ADLER--Frederick R. April 4, 1925-January 24, 2022. Frederick R. Adler passed away peacefully on January 24, 2022 at his home, surrounded by loving family members, after a long illness. He is survived by Catherine, his wife of 36 years, their two sons, Christopher and Freddie (Caroline), and his children from his first marriage to Elsie Adler, who predeceased him in 2015, Barbara, James, Susan and Elizabeth. He is also survived by his adored grandchildren, Sara Jane, Max, Harry, Cameron, Gideon, Nicholas, Ruby and Helena. A self-made man born in Brooklyn in 1925, Fred was a proud alumnus of Brooklyn College and Harvard Law School. Everything Fred did he did with passion, gusto and determination. He began his career as a lawyer, but he and others soon recognized his innate talent for solving legal problems extended to the world of business-especially young businesses. Fred had a nose for knowing the technologies that would be needed next in the development of business. His wide ranging interests went from microprocessors to medical technologies, and from medicine to computer software. Fred eventually became known as one of the "Fathers of Venture Capital". Fred had bustling offices in New York City, Boston, Silicon Valley, and after he brought the first Israeli company public, it was listed on a New York-based stock exchange, Israel also became his passion project and expertise. Fred loved business and solving all kinds of business problems. Fred's idea of "fun" was turning around a troubled company. Data General, Intersil, Daisy Systems and Life Technologies were just a few of the companies of which he was an important part. For more than 30 years, he was an active board member of Sit Investments, founded by long-term friend, Gene Sit, in Minneapolis. Fred's philanthropic endeavors included long-term Board Memberships at Memorial Sloan Kettering, TIAA, Dean's Advisory Council of Harvard Law School and others. Fred and his wife, Catherine established the Catherine and Frederick Adler Scholarship Program at University of Pennsylvania, and the Catherine and Frederick Adler Chair for Junior Faculty at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Fred's passions included the world of tennis, golf, bridge, and The New York Times crossword puzzles, which he proudly completed in ink. A memorial service is planned for early summer 2022.