Obituary for Mark Joel Fritch
Mark Joel Fritch went Home to the Lord on August 1, 2022, at age 55 after a valiant battle with
an aggressive pancreatic cancer.
Mark was born to Charles and Judith Fritch on June 22, 1967 in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in
Bakersfield, California. He attended UCLA to study Analytical Philosophy and later entered the
master’s program in Gerontology and Aging at USC. He joined Payne-Weber in New York to work
in their Hedge Funds Investment Division then returned to California to work as a mortgage
broker in Los Angeles.
A trip to Russia led Mark to his true love, Sasha. While living in Saint Petersburg from January
2018 to December 2019, Mark visited and made friends in Crimea, Moscow, Veliky Novgorod,
Altay, Kamchatka and Vladivostok. Upon returning to California, Mark and Sasha decided to
divide their residency between U.S. and Russia. The couple were married on March 17, 2021 and
were blessed with their daughter, Victoria Rose in 2022.
Following a brief illness of COVID-19, Mark was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. The optimism
he had and his determination to fight his illness never wavered. Immediate treatment of
chemotherapy and radiation began at Cedar Sinai.
Mark was loved by so many. His positive outlook, generous spirit, and kind heart left an
impression wherever he went. He never met a stranger that didn’t quickly become a friend; he
always went out of his way to help anyone in need. His love for outdoors brought out the happy
free spirit that defined him. He will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing
him. He will forever be in our hearts.
Mark will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Aleksandra (Sasha) Fritch; his daughter, Victoria
Rose Fritch; his parents, Charles and Judith Fritch; his parents-in-law, Vyacheslav and Olga Gulina,
his brother and wife, John and Karen Fritch; his sister and husband, Jillian and Michael Stump; his
niece, Jessica Stump; his nephews, John-David Fritch and Charles (Charlie) Stump; his aunts;
uncles; cousins; other relatives; and friends.
An in-person and live-stream celebration of life event for family and friends will be held on
Saturday, September 10, 2022, 2:00pm at Greenlawn Southwest Cemetery, Celebration of Life
Center, 2739 Panama Lane, Bakersfield, California.
Live stream webcast link: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/78053
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested any donation be made to UNMC Pancreatic Cancer
Research Innovation Fund https://nufoundation.org/fund/01156820/
an aggressive pancreatic cancer.
Mark was born to Charles and Judith Fritch on June 22, 1967 in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in
Bakersfield, California. He attended UCLA to study Analytical Philosophy and later entered the
master’s program in Gerontology and Aging at USC. He joined Payne-Weber in New York to work
in their Hedge Funds Investment Division then returned to California to work as a mortgage
broker in Los Angeles.
A trip to Russia led Mark to his true love, Sasha. While living in Saint Petersburg from January
2018 to December 2019, Mark visited and made friends in Crimea, Moscow, Veliky Novgorod,
Altay, Kamchatka and Vladivostok. Upon returning to California, Mark and Sasha decided to
divide their residency between U.S. and Russia. The couple were married on March 17, 2021 and
were blessed with their daughter, Victoria Rose in 2022.
Following a brief illness of COVID-19, Mark was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. The optimism
he had and his determination to fight his illness never wavered. Immediate treatment of
chemotherapy and radiation began at Cedar Sinai.
Mark was loved by so many. His positive outlook, generous spirit, and kind heart left an
impression wherever he went. He never met a stranger that didn’t quickly become a friend; he
always went out of his way to help anyone in need. His love for outdoors brought out the happy
free spirit that defined him. He will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing
him. He will forever be in our hearts.
Mark will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Aleksandra (Sasha) Fritch; his daughter, Victoria
Rose Fritch; his parents, Charles and Judith Fritch; his parents-in-law, Vyacheslav and Olga Gulina,
his brother and wife, John and Karen Fritch; his sister and husband, Jillian and Michael Stump; his
niece, Jessica Stump; his nephews, John-David Fritch and Charles (Charlie) Stump; his aunts;
uncles; cousins; other relatives; and friends.
An in-person and live-stream celebration of life event for family and friends will be held on
Saturday, September 10, 2022, 2:00pm at Greenlawn Southwest Cemetery, Celebration of Life
Center, 2739 Panama Lane, Bakersfield, California.
Live stream webcast link: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/78053
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested any donation be made to UNMC Pancreatic Cancer
Research Innovation Fund https://nufoundation.org/fund/01156820/