Dear Marie and  family. I had the great honour to work at Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong during much of the time that Sten was also with the Company.
Although our roles and responsibilities were different I was always impressed by Sten's  integrity and his calm and unflappable manner.. Here was a man that never let some minor drama deflect him from achieving his objective.
I respected Sten and I am honoured to have known him during those years.
I offer you all my most sincere condolences at this difficult time.
Rest in Peace Sten, and thank you.

Marie and Family, 

My deepest condolences to all of you and my apologies for not being able to be there in person. 

I was very touched by all the beautiful stories that you and the kids had about Sten as I watched the Live Stream from Prague. 

I remember when Rick and I first met all he could talk about was how he wanted to work at Canadian Airlines just like Sten. And he eventually did. 

Sten was one to look up to and he will be deeply missed by all. 

Please know that Rick, myself and our girls are here for you and your family whenever you should need us. 

Love Andrea

It is with the utmost sadness that I write these sad words.
From and to a great friend and colleague, and condolences to the whole family.
Very best wishes, 
Chris Hoyland and Kennis.

Sten was a highly regarded Cathay Pacific Manager and represented Cathay as a true Ambassador for the airline.  He was actively engaged with our Aircrew group in Vancouver and he dealt with many day to day issues on a personal basis with keen attention and a lot of care , empathy and understanding.    His insight, professionalism, and advice was deeply appreciated by many.   A man dedicated to aviation and highly appreciative of those who he worked with in the company and those within the industry.  My time with Sten were memorable and I always came away from our discussions with a smile and feeling like my concerns were in good hands.   To Marie and family my Sincerest and Heartfelt condolences.  

Captain David Hayden 
Chilliwack, B.C.

Dear Marie and Family,
Words cannot express how saddened I am by the loss of Sten. He was not just a wonderful colleague, but a dear friend who brought warmth, integrity, and genuine care to everything he did.

At work, Sten was a true man of principle who always stood up for the fair treatment of his people, looking out for both his immediate and extended TAM team. On a personal note, I will always treasure that he was one of the few people who was completely comfortable with my antipodean sarcastic humour... and actually encouraged it.

I last caught up with Sten this past August, when he drove the hour and a half down from Chilliwack just to have dinner with me during my final visit to Vancouver before I moved home to Sydney. We talked about the two of you coming over to visit, and I am so sorry I won't get the chance to show him my city beyond the meeting rooms he sat in during pilot negotiations.

Marie, that invitation still stands, you and the family are welcome in Sydney any time. Holding you all in my thoughts and sending my heartfelt sympathies during this difficult time.

With love,
Richard Jones

Dear Marie and Family,

Lenna and I were so sorry to hear of Sten's passing. Please know we are thinking of you all and holding you close.

I had the privilege of working with Sten for many years. He helped me move to Saigon in 2014 and back to the Americas in 2020, and he guided me through the COVID years with a calm I could only admire.

In San Francisco we spoke almost every day. We made an odd but effective pair. He was the logic, I was the emotion. He was the introvert, I was the extrovert who kept dragging him into rooms full of people. He never once complained, though I'm fairly sure he spent a lot of time wondering how I'd talked him into it. He always had my back. He was my wingman.

We will always treasure the time you and Sten visited us in Saigon.

Then there was football. Every Monday morning, without fail, the banter began. Sten was United through and through, and as a Liverpool man I considered it my duty to remind him how hopeless they were. He took it with the patience of a saint. For the record, and with great affection, they are still hopeless. I can picture him shaking his head and defending them anyway.

And of course, there was ramen. Last week a group of us gathered at Menya on Broadway, our spot, to swap Sten stories over noodles. There were a lot of stories. I suspect he would have been quietly mortified by the attention and secretly rather pleased. It will always be Sten's noodle place.

Sten made our world feel more settled just by being in it. He never needed to be loud to be heard.

May your many happy memories bring you comfort in the days ahead.

With love and deepest sympathy,
Chris and Lenna Vanden Hooven

My deepest condolences to Marie & the family.

Sten was a good friend. I last met him in Sept in HK. I couldn’t quite believe when I learned of Sten’s passing.

I worked with Sten for a long time. I’ve always admired his leadership, integrity, strong work ethic, and his meticulous attention to details. Sten always put CX’s interest first. In countless negotiation sessions, he demonstrated unwavering commitment and skills, achieving the best possible outcomes and also winning a lot of respect from all, including the negotiation parties.

RIP Sten. Roselle and I will miss you.

Very sad to hear of Sten's passing. As a pilot representative at Cathay Pacific Airways I sat across the table from him many times.  Sometimes we reached agreements, sometimes we didn't but Sten was always honest, respectful and willing to try and find a mutually acceptable solution.

To Marie and the entire Kroutil family. 

On behalf of the entire former Canadian based Cathay Pacific pilots, please accept our heartfelt condolences. 

For those of us directly involved in representing the pilots’ interests, we would deal directly with Sten more than any other manager of Cathay Pacific. Throughout our time together, Sten was always the ultimate professional. He was a man of respect, integrity, and honor. Sten’s sense of fairness,  the knack for common sense, and good humor, made it possible to solve almost any issue. 

Our relationship was always one of mutual respect. He valued this unique relationship as much as we did.  The very fact that we could negotiate through Sten, and then go have a beer afterwards is testimony to his character. To spend years negotiating across the table in a professional capacity, only to wind up our careers as friends, just about says it all. 

Blue skies and tailwinds Sten. We will miss you.    

Kevin Houghton
Chairman AOA Canada

My sincere condolences Marie and family at this very difficult time.

I had the privilege to have been recruited by Sten into Cathay Pacific some 15 years ago. Since then, we worked closely in our HR roles, and I have many lasting memories of time spent together in various corners of the globe on duty travel and relaxing over a wine or a beer. 

Sten was a true professional who operated with 100% honesty and integrity and had total respect amongst all those he worked alongside.  I personally have learned and grown so much in no small part due to his guidance and wisdom, above all he was a true friend upon whom you could always depend. Devoted to Marie and his family but still made time for others, a true gentleman.

Rest peacefully Sten
Scott, Kelly & Grace x

Dear Marie and family,

I was deeply saddened to learn of Sten's passing.

I had the privilege of working with Sten for four years at Cathay Pacific, early in my career. He was one of my very first mentors, and someone I respected enormously. I learned a great deal from him, not just professionally, but from the example he set in how he treated and supported those around him.

Although many years have passed, I've never forgotten his kindness, wisdom and encouragement, or the positive influence he had on my career. He also had a crafty sense of humour - "I am sorry, I am Czech...!"

Please accept my heartfelt condolences. He will be remembered with enormous respect and affection.

Ian Renwick

My heartfelt condolences to Sten’s family.

I have such fond memories of Sten from our time in Hong Kong. He and his family were not just our neighbours; they were also people with whom we shared a part of our lives. We often got together, sharing conversations, laughter and little moments that, looking back, have become precious memories.

What I will always remember about Sten is how much he loved his family. It was something that truly shone through in everything he did. He was such a fun-loving, genuine, decent and caring person, and always a pleasure to be around.

I feel fortunate to have known Sten and to have shared those precious memories with him and his family. He will be fondly remembered and deeply missed.

Rest peacefully, dear Sten.

Tomoko

R.I.P Sten. Thank you for the years we shared at CX. My deepest condolences to Marie and family.

Lay your hat in its resting place and let your soul fly home..
Stu Pryke, ex CX.

I had the honor and privilege to work with Sten at Cathay Pacific. He was not only my manager, but a true friend. He was intelligent, humble, witty, calm, kind, genuine and truly cared about people. He was the hardest working person I knew. His leadership was unmatched and he will be remembered not only for the many years he dedicated to Cathay, but for the person he was and the impression he left on those fortunate enough to know him. I will cherish our memories of our yearly HKG trips and will miss his sarcastic humor, his friendship and his smile. Rest in peace dear friend. With love, Jyoti.

My sincere condolences to Sten’s family.  I worked closely with Sten for many years at Canadian Airlines and he was a wonderful colleague and friend. He was a kind and genuine man and we shared many stories and lots of stories and laughs together. RIP Sten. I’ll remember you with a smile. Alan

Our deepest condolences to Marie and Family.

Sten was a great person, mentor and colleague.  He was always willing to help and had a contagious smile.

May he rest in peace.

With love,

The Papagno Family

Sincere condolences to Marie and the family at this difficult time.
So many memories of a man of great compassion and integrity. Proud to remember him as a generous friend  as well as being a 'top drawer' work colleague.
Marie and the family are in our thoughts.
RIP

Honesty
Integrity 
Dedication 

Very rare to find all 3 in one man.  I will remember him.




Clint

OBITUARY

Sten Kroutil

5 April, 1958 – 1 November, 2026

Henderson's Funeral Homes & Crematorium

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