A memorial dervice for Frederick Joseph Bourgeois, III, grandson of the late Lad and Gertrude Robertson of Sallis, will be held Saturday, July 1, at Harmonia Congregational Methodist Church near Sallis, at 2 p.m., with Father Greg Plata officiating. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall.
Fred passed away at Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz, California, Sunday, December 18, 2016 at the age of 54, after a long fight with carcinoid cancer. He was born in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He grew up in Mississippi and Alabama and earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science and Physics at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Fred sang professionally while in college. Not only did he play classical guitar but also arranged original compositions, writing the words to those compositions. He sang once at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
After graduation, Fred spent a year teaching Computer Science at the University of Minnesota. The rest of his career, he worked in California on defense systems, compilers, cyber security and space exploration. He held a patent in cyber security. He excelled in starting and owning his own software and systems companies.
Fred spent the last seven years as founder, owner and Chief Executive Officer of an all volunteer, worldwide, 700+ member (six continents represented) Google Lunar XPrize team: Team FREDNET, The Open Space Society, Inc. Team FREDNET’s mission was to develop open source technology that would enable sending a robot to the moon. Fred valued greatly this work and the friendships he developed across the country and world, through this work.
Outside of work, Fred performed in plays, played guitar, wrote songs and sang in his church choir, Twin Lakes United Methodist Church in Santa Cruz, California.
Fred is survived by estranged wife, Karen; son, SPC Frederick J. Bourgeois, IV; mother, Linda Robertson Bourgeois; father, Fred J. Bourgeois, Jr. (Judy); sister, Jacqueline M. Bourgeois (Jim Parinella); half-sister, Claire Bourgeois (Robert); half-brother, Elliot Bourgeois; and two aunts, Clytice Robertson Gardner (Burnis); and, Pat Edwards Robertson.
A close colleague summed up Fred’s life in these words, “He was an amazing man. It is extremely rare that a person is both brilliant, yet humble. Optimistic, yet realistic. Creative, yet practical. Quiet, yet bold. Appreciative, yet demanding our best. Gentlemanly, yet powerful. No job was too big for him, yet none too small. No one intimidated him, yet he did not want to intimidate anyone.”
It was Freddie's final request to be buried by his beloved Pa Lad. We, his family, will always love and miss him.
