Fareed Thomas Ossi

Fareed was born on November 8, 1933 in Mosul, Iraq to Thomas and Raji Ossi. He emigrated to the United States in 1953 and attended Wayne University in Detroit, Michigan. The cold winters were not suitable for him so he moved to Florida and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1958. He married Julia in 1959.

After graduating in 1958 he began his career at Beiswinger, Hoch & Associates Engineers as a designer. In 1962 he went to work at Ebaugh & Goethe, Inc. Consulting Engineers, and his four years there were very important to him. During this time he continued attending college and in 1964 got his ME in Mechanical Engineering. In 1966 he and his family relocated to Tampa, and he helped form Fielland, Colvin & Ossi, Inc. In 1968 he formed Ossi Consulting Engineers, Inc. and was president of the firm until his passing.

Fareed was very active during his life and enjoyed giving his time to various entities. He was a dedicated Kiwanian and served as the president of the Kiwanis Club of Midtown Tampa in 1974. He was very supportive of ASHRAE and was the president of the Florida West Coast Chapter in 1970. He spent twelve years on the City of Tampa Board of Examiners of Mechanical Contractors and sixteen years on the Hillsborough County Mechanical Board of Adjustment, Appeals and Examiners. He served on the University of Florida Athletic Board from 1978 to 1980 and was a charter member of the University of Florida President’s Council. He was a firm believer in civic and professional duties.

While donating his time was important, he was also very passionate about playing golf, spending time at the casino and Florida Gators sports. Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club was like his second home, and he loved spending time there. Fareed also loved attending Gators football games. He was a season ticket holder for more than sixty years and very much prided himself on attending all home games during that time. He was a Bull Gator, and everyone who knew him knew how much he loved his Gators. And his love for UF went beyond athletics. He was a staunch supporter of the university as a whole and would contribute in any way he could.

The engineering profession was also a true passion. He practiced for sixty-six years, with fifty-six of them being the president of his company. He was an adjunct engineering professor at USF and taught graduating seniors, graduate students, and professional engineers. The two most respected mechanical engineering organizations, ASME and ASHRAE, both awarded him the distinction of Fellow, and he was especially proud of this. His long and distinguished career was made possible by his true love of the profession.

Fareed was a devout Catholic and a parishioner at Christ the King Catholic Church. His sons attended Jesuit High School, and he was a big supporter of the school. In recognition of his loyalty and contributions he was inducted into the Jesuit High School Hall of Fame.

With all of that said, the most important thing to Fareed was, by far, his family. He would do anything to help a family member whether they be immediate or extended. Telling someone he was married for sixty-five years to his loving wife gave him a tremendous sense of pride. He was equally proud of his four sons, and his grandchildren and great grandchildren were a wonderful source of joy for him. He loved them all very, very much.

Fareed is survived by his wife, Julia, his four children, David (Maria), Robert (Ruwaida), John, and Danny (Lori), eleven grandchildren, four great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brothers George, Afram, Philip, Ramzi and Edward, and his sisters Aliza, Fareeda and Clementine.

A visitation is scheduled for 5 PM to 7 PM on Wednesday, January 8th at Blount & Curry Funeral Home located at 605 S MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL 33609, and a mass will be held at 10 AM on Thursday, January 9th at Christ the King Catholic Church located at 821 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33609. Father Jacob will conduct the mass. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Fareed’s life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The family would like to thank caregivers Aida, Zuly, Sarah and Claudia and the all the nurses and physicians at TGH that took care of him. They would also like to thank Fareed’s employee of thirty-four years, Bill Wilson, for being a loyal and trusted assistant and being his ‘fifth son’.