Leslie (Les) Storyk

Leslie (Les ) Storyk (94) passed away peacefully with his immediate family at his side on March 23rd in Sarasota, Florida. He was born in Brooklyn, NY on November 4, 1923 to the late Morris and Mini Storyk. Les and his late wife, Ruth of nearly 70 years were originally residents of the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice arriving in 1983 from Woodstock, NY. Les and Ruth remained in Venice as full time and part time winter residents until 2009, when they became members of the Glenridge Community in Sarasota. Les graduated from New York University and served in the United States Marine Corp during World War 11. In 1949 he reopened the New York office of Frank Fehr & Co., London, a global merchant trading company, established in 1857. The privately owned international commodity firm had been closed during WWII. Les was continuously associated with the Fehr companies for nearly 70 years. Besides importing and exporting agricultural and industrial raw materials Fehr established warehouses in the USA distributing a wide range of industrial hardware and components. In 1975 he built Fehr’s headquarters in Saugerties, NY, near his Woodstock, NY residence. He retired as CEO in 1986, but served as Chairman until his death. Les traveled worldwide, often with his wife, Ruth, sourcing products and materials and was a frequent visitor to Europe, Japan, China, Turkey, the South Pacific and out of the way places as Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast and many other African and South American destinations. He understood globalization decades before it became a popular conversation. He was President of the American Institute for International Steel; served on the Board of the New York Cocoa Exchange; and was elected in1977 as the first American member of the Baltic Exchange in London. He enjoyed golf and was a long time member of the Plantation Golf Club. He was President of the St. George Condo Association for many years and was very active in the Plantation Community Foundation and a member of the Grant Committee. With Ruth he endowed the Robert Gilbert Storyk Charitable Foundation in memory of their son Bob and generously supported local charities. Survived by son John, an internationally known architect and recording studio designer, his wife Beth Walters-Storyk, President of WSDG in Highland, NY and grandchildren Nadine Curtis and her son and his great grandson, Pixley Curtis of Mill Valley CA; Keaton Thomas Wright, Keaton’s wife Emma, their son and his great grandson Alister of New Hill, NC; Corbett Robert Storyk of Durham, NC; and Elisa Belle Storyk of Atlanta GA, as well as Les and Ruth’s devoted friend of over 75 years, Richard Sussman of Palm Beach, FL. Les loved music and served on the Board of the Venice Symphony, was a NY Yankee baseball fan, an avid reader as well as a gracious host, loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Known for his wide world knowledge and a believer in loyalty, honesty and integrity, he lived a full interesting life and will be sorely missed and remembered fondly.

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Leslie (Les) Storyk

November 4, 1923 - March 23, 2018