Frederick Smith, founder of the renowned US parcel delivery giant Federal Express, has passed away at the age of 80.
On Saturday, June 21, the company announced the disheartening news as the current CEO, Raj Subramaniam, penned a heartfelt memo to staff.
"Fred was more than just the pioneer of an industry and the founder of our great company. He was the heart and soul of FedEx," the statement read.
Born in 1944, Frederick started the delivery-giant with 389 staff and 14 small planes that carried out 186 packages from Memphis to 25 cities within the US.
Now, FedEx has more than 500,000 employees across the globe and delivers around millions of packages a day.
According to its website, the company operations involve 705 aircraft and 200,000 vehicles.
The emotional note added, "He was a mentor to many and a source of inspiration to all. He was also a proud father, grandfather, husband, Marine, and friend."
Fred joined the US Marine Corps as a second lieutenant after graduating from Yale University.
He served two tours in Vietnam and was awarded medals for bravery and wounds before leaving the military as a captain in 1969.
Using his Yale business knowledge, Fred created the efficient delivery systems which he set up in Memphis, Tennessee, and it has remained FedEx's base ever since.
