Frederick C. Ulbrich Jr.
The Humble Humanitarian

Fred was born on December 15, 1930 to the late Ada Cei Ulbrich and Frederick Christian Ulbrich, Sr., founder of Ulbrich Steel. Fred attended Holy Trinity School in Wallingford and was an alumnus of Lyman Hall High School and Deerfield Academy.

Fred attended Brown University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1953. He was recruited by the United States Army during the Korean War and served stateside in the Counterintelligence Corps. In 1956, he was honorably discharged and began his career at Ulbrich Steel.

With his father, Fred Sr. and his younger brother Dick, Fred immediately focused on growing the Company by selling quality products that exceeded customer expectations. He approached business challenges in a direct, no-nonsense manner.

He was known for forming solid relationships with suppliers, earning the trust of customers, and building a strong sales team. To compliment his commercial pursuits, Fred created a strong internal business structure by introducing critical credit and marketing functions to Ulbrich Steel.

With his foresight, Fred helped his family business grow from a small operation in Wallingford into a company with a strong foothold in aerospace, automotive, and medical markets for customers across America. Fred was a valued member of the American Iron and Steel Institute, the World Business council, the Young Presidents Organization (since 1970), and the World Presidents Organization (since 1990).

He was a founding member of the Wallingford Rotary Club, the former Director of the Oakdale Musical Theatre, and a Charter Member of the Farms Country Club. Fred was the Campaign Chairman of the United Way of Meriden and Wallingford, and Co-Chairman of the Silver Anniversary Capital Campaign of the Boys & Girls Club Wallingford Community Center, now named the Ulbrich Boys & Girls Club.

He was also the Co-Campaign Chairman of the Wallingford Family YMCA Capital Campaign. The YMCA’s summer program for childcare is named Camp Ulbrich, in honor of his constant support and fund-raising efforts. Fred’s community-minded philanthropic legacy will live on as he was a giant of a man when it came to helping children and those less fortunate than him.

Fred’s hobbies included a wide range of interests that went far beyond manufacturing stainless steel and special metals. He loved to study geology and accumulated an impressive number of rare geodes. Fred greatly appreciated the fine arts and was a distinguished collector of Salvador Dali lithographs. He was also known by his friends and family as a talented pianist, especially in the genres of jazz, blues, and ragtime. He played piano with his brother, Dick, and his close friends in a Dixieland band named Jack’s Cat’s, who performed around Connecticut on a regular basis.

He was a humble man who deeply sympathized with the hardships of others. He was charismatic, down-to-earth and elicited smiles and laughter through the sharing of his life experiences. With vivid detail and personal anecdotes, his unforgettable stories helped to create bonds that formed meaningful relationships and built lifelong trust. Fred was loved because of his heartfelt style, his genuine care for all individuals and his steadfast leadership. Fond memories of Fred will live in many hearts, forever.

The Fred Ulbrich Memorial Fund was created in 2015 by Fred’s three sons: Chris, Derek and Jason Ulbrich. The Fund is administered under the umbrella of the Meriden-Wallingford Foundation portfolio. And in January 2020, the Ulbrich Philanthropy Committee was created by the Ulbrich Family in order to manage, evaluate and distribute all donations to non-profit organizations that directly impact our community.