Vitalij Eckersdorf of Atherton died April 16 while fulfilling a life-long dream, say family members. He was on a 30-day cruise when he collapsed and died of a massive heart attack as the ship was docking in Tasmania, Australia. He was 71.
Mr. Eckersdorf was active in civic affairs, particularly in Atherton, where he served as president of the Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation and the Atherton Civic Interest League. He served on the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center committee and was a member of the Grand Jurors Association. He also served as president of the San Mateo Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Eckersdorf was born in Lodz, Poland, and immigrated to Austria as a child. He and his family were stateless after World War II and were allocated to Argentina. He was educated there and became a successful businessman, involved in running a large chemical company. In 1960 he and his family moved to Los Angeles.
Mr. Eckersdorf moved to the Bay Area in 1962. After working for Ampex and a San Francisco real estate investment company, he became chief financial officer for Bofors Lithographics in San Mateo. He was with Bofors for more than 30 years, serving on the board of directors as treasurer and second vice president. While at Bofors he became one of the leaders of the Employees Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) International Association.
He was a member of the ESOP board of directors from 1983 through 1993, serving in many capacities, including president. In 1994 he received the ESOP Association’s Life Service Award. From 1977 until his death, he remained a trustee of the Employee Ownership Foundation. He was also very active in Toastmasters International and served as international director.
In 1987 Mr. Eckersdorf was inducted as a Chevalier of the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, the largest gastronomic society in the world, and was elected president of the Hillsborough Bailliage in 2005.
Mr. Eckersdorf was a member of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Russian Orthodox Church in Menlo Park, where he served as treasurer. He was also on the auditing committee for the church’s Diocese of the West.
Mr. Eckersdorf is survived by his wife, Anna, of Atherton; daughter Elena Minor of Atherton; sons Steven Moran of Prunedale and Tim Moran of Sunnyvale; and seven grandchildren.
Services are pending.
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