Rudie Sypkes

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Rudie Sypkes

Nationality Australian

Rudie Sypkes (? - February 8, 2008) was an Australian businessman and philanthropist from Tasmania. Sypkes was the founder of the Chickenfeed retail chain. [1]

Sypkes was born in Tasmania to immigrant parents from the Netherlands.[1] He began his business career by helping his father, Engel, found the Purity supermarket chain.[1] Sypkes later founded and launched the Chickenfeed Bargain Stores, a chain of discount retail stores located throughout Tasmania. He sold the Chickenfeed chain in 2001 for an estimated $35 million Australian dollars.[1] Sypkes often quietly contributed to philanthropic causes throughout Tasmania using his personal fortune.[2]

Sypkes revealed in July 2007 that he had been disgnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and donated $600,000 Australian dollars towards research into respiratory disease.[1] Sypkes died suddenly and unexpectedly at a hospital in Tasmania on February 8, 2008.[1] He had been on a waiting list for a lung transplant for nine months.[1] He was survived by his wife, Beth, and three children, Andrew, Sharon and Luke.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Mather, Anne. "Rudie Sypkes' shock death", The Mercury, 2008-02-09. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. 
  2. ^ "Good fortune well spent", The Mercury, 2008-02-11. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. 

[edit] External links

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