Long time Ceres resident Svatoboj “Swatja” Otruba died September 5, 2015, in Punta San Carlos, Baja, Mexico. He passed away from a tragic accident while pursuing his dream of sailing his catamaran, the Moravia.
Swatja was born on July 11, 1948 in Czechoslovakia. He and his family immigrated to the USA in 1981. Swatja worked for many years for B&H Labeling Systems in Ceres as a mechanical engineer and had just retired in 2013. He was known in the field of labeling as one of the greatest inventors of our time. He held at least 17 US patents in the field and was respected and admired by people worldwide.
Swatja is survived by his adoring wife Susan, daughters Katerina and Barbara, his sister Helena of the Czech Republic, stepchildren Steve and Debbie, and 6 grandchildren. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.
A Memorial Service will be held at Lakewood Memorial Park in Hughson, California on Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 11am.
